All your beginning of the year information in one spot: New School Year

Upcoming Dates:

Friday, August 1st - Friday, August 15th: Online Registration for Current Families

Tuesday, August 5th - Wednesday, August 6th 8 a.m. - Noon & 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.: New Westwood Student Registration (in person)

August 21 -

• Back to School Night 5-7 p.m.

• 7th Grade Orientation 6-7

• Freshman Transition Presentation 6-6:30 p.m. Cell phone policy presentation 7 p.m.

August 25 - First Day of School! 2:30 Dismissal

August 29 - Holiday Dismissal 1:30

September 1 - Labor Day - No School

September 2 - First Day of Preschool

At Westwood, we’re committed to creating a learning environment where every student can thrive—academically, socially, and emotionally. Beginning August 25th, we will launch the Yondr Phone-Free Schools Program—a proven, bell-to-bell approach that supports student focus, well-being, and connection by removing mobile phone distractions during the school day.

For over a decade, Yondr has helped schools across all 50 states and more than 35 countries build healthier, more engaging school cultures. Their pouch-based program, combined with hands-on guidance and dedicated support, has led to powerful results:

• 86% reported improved safety and student wellness

• 84% saw increased engagement in class

• 68% experienced academic gain

• 44% reduced behavioral referrals

How the Program Works

Each student will be assigned a Yondr pouch—a secure, lockable case for storing personal devices. Students are responsible for bringing their pouch to and from school each day and keeping it in good condition.

• Upon arrival: Students power off their phone, AirPods, and smartwatch (or switch to airplane mode), place all devices in the pouch, and lock it before their first period class.

• During the day: Students keep the locked pouch in their backpack or locker.

• At dismissal: Students unlock pouches at designated stations to retrieve their devices.

This process is quick, simple, and will be supervised by staff as part of our daily routine.

Staying Connected

With student safety as our top priority, we will follow our standard safety protocols in the event of an emergency. If you need to reach your child during the school day, please contact our main office at 712-428-3355.

We know that change takes partnership—and we’re here to support a smooth transition for your family. To walk through the program and answer your questions, we’ll be hosting a family information session: August 21, 7 p.m., Auditorium.

Thank you for your continued support as we work together to create a focused, present, and positive school environment for every student.

Parent Slide Show to Learn More about our Yondr Program

As part of the district's safety plan, we will once again partner with AEGIX -AIM to provide a communication platform for all staff and emergency personnel using their app. We use the app during all of our drills during the school year. The app integrates with our Student Response Protocol (SRP). A list of our SROs is included in the image below.

Please note that in an actional emergency, communication will be sent to parents regarding the reunification location for their child(ren). The location is typically not the school itself.

5 Emergency Actions:

• HOLD! Remain in your room/area; clear hallways. Continue with usual activities. (Used for medical emergencies or non-academic disruptions outside the classroom.)

• SECURE! Get inside and lock exterior doors. Continue with usual activities. (Used for emergencies in the area requiring students to be indoors.)

• LOCKDOWN! Lock doors, turn off lights, and get out of sight. Maintain silence and do not open the door. (Used for an intruder in the building.)

• EVACUATE! Exit the premises. (Used for a fire within the building.)

• SHELTER! Move to your designated indoor safety area. (Used for tornado warnings or external hazmat situations.)

This year we will be partnering with ZeroEyes to further protect our students and staff.

ZeroEyes' AI gun detection and intelligent situational awareness software layers onto existing digital security cameras. If a gun is identified, images are instantly shared with the ZeroEyes Operations Center (ZOC), the industry's only U.S.-based, fully in-house operation center, which is staffed 24/7/365 by specially trained U.S. military and law enforcement veterans. If these experts determine the threat is valid, they dispatch alerts and actionable intelligence — including visual description, gun type, and last known location — to law enforcement and local security teams as quickly as 3 to 5 seconds from detection.

This added safety measure aligns with our mission to help every student reach their fullest potential by fostering a secure environment. The response from our community and parents has been overwhelmingly supportive.”

This summer there is a lot of construction happening on campus. Here are the major highlights happening outside of the building. All of this is being funded from our future LOST funds (Sales Tax). No property taxes were used in this construction.

• The roof to the "east" gym and all the classrooms that were not on the original building will be replaced. (2001 addition)

• A new drainage ditch and tile has been installed that starts at the north of the building and travels to the ditch at the highway.

• The "original" bleachers were moved to the visitor side many years ago. These bleachers were out of code and risked liability to the district. They have been replaced with a new set of visitor bleachers that includes handicap access.

• A new structure will be built around the current football/track building. This will include new restrooms, concession stand and improved press box on the second level.

• Softball/Baseball will have a new building that will house a ticket booth, restrooms and concession stand.

Westwood carries a student and catastrophic accident insurance for our students through Gerber Life Insurance company. This coverage is designed to supplement expenses not covered by other plans (including a family’s health insurance). If your child has an accident at school, please call the school to get more information.

Attention community members! Don't have students in Westwood schools but still want to stay in the loop? We've got you covered with our new Community Messenger program! Sign up easily at https://westwoodcsd.onlinejmc.com by clicking the registration button. Please share with anyone you think would like this feature.

Starting this fall, our breakfast and lunch program will look a little different. We're partnering with Lunchtime Solutions, a company based in North Sioux City, South Dakota, that already serves schools like Bishop Heelan, Hinton, Kingsley-Pierson, and South Sioux City in our area. All the meals are prepared fresh here in our kitchen. Many meals will utilize local grown food sources. Students will have the opportunity to provide input on menus, which will feature multiple main dish choices each day, with one option being made from scratch. The existing menu link will continue to be used.

https://www.lunchtimesolutions.com/