Dear Westgate Families,
What an exciting way to begin the school year! As I look around Westgate, I am filled with pride and excitement about all that is ahead for our students. We have so much to celebrate already, and I truly believe this year is shaping up to be our best yet at Westgate!
Westgate Rated a Performance School—Again!
I am thrilled and incredibly proud to announce that the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) has once again rated Westgate Community School as a Performance School!
This is an important accomplishment and reflects the hard work of our students, teachers, staff, and families. CDE's School Performance Framework looks at multiple measures of student achievement and academic growth to provide an overall picture of how a school is serving its students. You can learn more about Colorado's School Performance Framework and what a Performance rating means by visiting the Colorado Department of Education.
Our students are also demonstrating tremendous success on the SAT. Westgate's average SAT score is 1,171.6, compared with a state average of 982 and an Adams 12 district average of 974.1. While only 20 Westgate students took the SAT, the strength of these scores is especially exciting because each individual student's performance has a meaningful impact on our average.
We are also incredibly proud to celebrate a 100% graduation rate!
These results are worth celebrating, not simply because they are impressive numbers, but because they represent the accomplishments and growth of individual Westgate students.
This is also why assessments such as CMAS, PSAT, and SAT are important to Westgate. Assessments provide us with valuable data points that help us understand how each individual student is doing and allow us to look at achievement and growth across our school. This information helps us identify areas of strength, set meaningful goals, and determine where we need to improve.
At Westgate, we believe that every student deserves to grow every year. Our goal is not simply to maintain our success, but to continue getting better and better so that we can provide an even stronger educational experience for every student.
I am so proud of our Westgate students and the dedication they demonstrate every day!
RISE Focus: Self-Awareness
Our RISE theme for September is Self-Awareness.
Throughout the month, students will learn how to recognize and name their emotions, understand what triggers certain feelings, and practice calming strategies when challenges arise. They will also explore their personal strengths and discover how those strengths can help them succeed both in and out of the classroom.
Students will practice important life skills such as:
Identifying and understanding emotions
Self-soothing and calming strategies
Setting goals
Asking for help
Recognizing and celebrating what makes them unique
By building self-awareness, students develop confidence, make positive choices, and strengthen the skills they need to reach their goals. These are skills that will serve our students not only in school, but throughout their lives.
$10,000+ Raised for the I-Lab!
A huge thank you to everyone who participated in and supported our Fun Run! I am thrilled to announce that our Westgate community raised more than $10,000 for the I-Lab!
These funds will help us bring the Trout in the Classroom program to Westgate and purchase additional tools and resources for our I-Lab classroom.
This is such a wonderful example of what happens when our community comes together to support innovative, hands-on learning opportunities for our students. I cannot wait to see how students use these new opportunities to explore, design, create, and learn!
September at Westgate
There is a lot happening this month! Be sure to mark your calendars for these upcoming events:
Picture Day: Friday, September 11
Spirit Week: September 14–18
Book Fair: September 15–18 — for all K–12 students!
Homecoming: September 18 — High School students
First GT Parent Night: September 29, 5:00–6:00 PM
Gifted & Talented Parent Night – September 29; 5-6 PM
We are particularly excited about our first Gifted & Talented Parent Night of the year. Kelly Ann Scott, our Director of Gifted & Talented Education, will lead a family learning session on Understanding Giftedness and the Six Profiles of the Gifted and Talented.
Join us in the High School Pod on September 29 from 5:00–6:00 PM for an opportunity to learn more about gifted education and Westgate's vision for our GT programming.
The session will include an overview of gifted education at the state and local levels, including an introduction to the Advanced Learning Plan (ALP). We will also discuss Westgate's specific model and vision for gifted education, as well as the Six Profiles of the Gifted and Talented and how they can provide a starting point for supporting gifted children.
We are investing in our gifted education programming to create even more opportunities for your children to discover their strengths, pursue their interests, and reach their potential. We hope you will join us!
Learn more and add the September 29 event to your calendar.
What a Year We Have Ahead!
From academic achievement to social-emotional learning, from our I-Lab to our Gifted & Talented programming, there is so much happening at Westgate. Most importantly, we are focused on helping every student grow, learn, discover their strengths, and reach their goals.
Thank you for being part of this incredible community and for entrusting your children to us each day. We are grateful for your partnership, your support, and your belief in Westgate.
Here's to an amazing 2026–27 school year! I truly believe this will be our best year yet.
With Westgate Pride,
Sharon Collins
Executive Director
Westgate Community School
