Westwood Elementary School

COVID can't stop our annual costume parade (but it will look different)! This year, our school staff will be driving through the neighborhood, hoping to catch a glimpse of some festive Wildcats donning their fabulous costumes. Dress up and head out to the sidewalk along our parade route on Friday, October 30th from 3:00-4:00 pm. #SayBooToDrugs

We love to see our Wildcats celebrating Red Ribbon Week! Check out this student’s choice for Hero Day yesterday! Not all heroes wear capes. Teachers are superheroes!

Red Ribbon Week has begun!

Please read the latest update from Principal Klinkner: https://www.smore.com/946wc

https://fb.me/e/3kbJA84xe

Help MDUSD recoup funds by submitting a free or reduced meal application today! Thousands of previously eligible families have not yet submitted an application for the new year, which would mean a loss in funds to which we are otherwise entitled. Take 7 minutes to apply today, even if you do not plan on taking district meals. All MDUSD families are encouraged to apply, and you can do so online from any device. Apply for Meals Today | Solicitar Comidas Hoy | Áp dng cho ba ...n | Aide Alimentaire | | | | Подать заявку на питание сегодня | Do you need a paper version of the application or instructions on how to complete the application? Visit mdusd.org/foodservices Spread the word by retweeting or sharing district social media posts.

Sounds like fun, Wildcats!

5-10 minutes of your time may help bring hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional funds to our schools! All MDUSD families are asked to complete a Free or Reduced-Priced Meal Application to determine eligibility. https://family.titank12.com/application/new For more information, and access to a paper application:... http://mdusd.org/foodservices Thank you for supporting our schools!

Happy National Custodian’s Day, Semone and James! Westwood appreciates you!

Are you ready to vote for your School Board representative? Please take some time to become familiar with our Trustee Area 5 School Board Member Candidates: https://www.cocovote.us/mt-diablo-unified-school-district-/

The latest Westwood Community Update is now available! Check out the latest news: https://www.smore.com/7v1ew

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month: Sylvia Mendez She testified in court to prove that Mexicans were just as smart as white people and was the first to desegregate schools in the United States.... ... It was World War II and the Mendez family had just moved to Westminister, CA, to rent and work a farm of their own. Like many parents today, Gonzalo Mendez and his wife Felicitas (Puerto Rican) worked long hours as farm laborers to give their three children the opportunities that they never had. "WHITES ONLY - NO MEXICANS" But when Gonzalo and Felicitas tried to enroll their children Silvia, Gonzalo Jr., and Jerome in the local school, they were told that the school was for "whites only", "no Mexicans allowed." Their children, like all Latino students across the country at the time, would have to go to the "Mexican school": two shacks on a dirt lot. Gonzalo refused to accept this. He went to the principal, the superintendent, finally the school board. They all said no. But, Gonzalo wouldn't go away quietly. He rallied four other Mexican-American families: Gomez, Palomino, Estrada, and Ramirez. Together, they went to court, not just for their own children, but for all the Latino children in Orange County. The school board argued that Mexicans were inferior to whites and couldn't speak English. School superintendent, James Kent, said, "People of Mexican descent are intellectually, culturally, and morally inferior to European Americans." So, eight-year-old Sylvia Mendez took the stand and testified, in perfect English, demonstrating to the court that Latino Americans were just as smart and capable as white students. On February 18, 1946, Judge Paul J. McCormick ruled in favor of the Mendez family and their fellow plaintiffs, declaring that segregation was unconstitutional and created inequality where there was none: separate is not equal. Unwilling to give up their "whites only" schools, the school board appealed the decision, but, this time the Mexican-American families had the support of the NAACP, League of United Latin American Citizens, Japanese American Citizen's League, and the World Jewish Congress. On April 14th, 1947, they won AGAIN. Thanks to Sylvia and her family, California became the first state to desegregate not only schools, but all public spaces. Her bravery paved the way for landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education to desegregate all schools across the nation. Sylvia has remained an advocate for equality in education her entire life. In 2011, President Obama honored her with the Medal of Freedom. What I tell my students is that they must persevere. My mother always told me we are children of God and we deserve to be treated equally. We still have racism and prejudice, but we must persevere.

Our parent community has done it again! #forevergrateful