Handbooks & Procedures

Westgate Community School Policies

Our policies can be found in the following handbooks and information. Please refer to the Student-Community Handbook for overall policies and procedures. For High School students please see the High School Handbook.

Community Handbooks

Special Education FAQs and Evaluation Requests

Please contact your student's assistant principal or the Director of Student Services with any request.

Colorado Department of Education Support Request Forms

FAQ

If you don't see your question answered below, the information may be in the WCS Student-Community or High School Handbooks above.

Communication Pathways For Families

Contact Procedures:

Make contact via email.
Be specific: State what you understand or know about the situation and ask clarifying questions.
Allow time for contact to gather the necessary information to address questions/concerns. You can expect a response within 48 hours from teachers and team leads; 72 hours from all others.
As your query moves through the process, please be sure to copy all previous contacts for continued correspondence.

For communications with Westgate staff and administration concerning social emotional, academic, and school operations, please follow the communications pathways as indicated:

For Social Emotional Issues

Contact the Teacher(s) involved. If the issue is not resolved, then:
Contact the Team Lead. If the issue is not resolved, then:
Contact the School Counselor. If the issue is not resolved, then:
Contact the Assistant Principal for the appropriate grade level. If the issue is not resolved, then:
Contact the Executive Director. If the issue is not resolved, then:
Contact a Board Member.

For Academic Issues

Contact the Teacher(s) involved. If the issue is not resolved, then:
Contact the Team Lead. If the issue is not resolved, then:
Contact the Gifted Coordinator, only for gifted issues. If it is not a gifted issue or has not been resolved, then:
Contact the Assistant Principal for the appropriate grade level. If the issue is not resolved, then:
Contact the Executive Director. If the issue is not resolved, then:
Contact a Board Member.

For School Operations or Policies:

Contact the Executive Director. If the issue is not resolved, then:
Contact a Board Member.

What are Westgate’s school hours and office hours?

School hours: 8:00 am - 3:30 pm.
Half-Day Kinder hours: 8:00 am - 11:45 am.
Office hours: 7:50 am - 3:45 pm.
*On half days, all students are released at 11:30

How do I report that my student will be absent?

Use the absence notification form online, or you can also call the school. Letting a teacher know your student will be absent does not suffice for them to be excused for the day. You can find our Attendance Policies online.

Where can I find the school calendar so I know when my student has days off?

Both the EVENTS Calendar and the ACADEMIC Calendar are published on the website. The events calendar lists Westgate Community School events and occurrences scheduled month-to month. You can also find this information on your Westgate App. The academic calendar has the complete list of breaks and days off, including conference days. Find them both here:

Do I need an ID when I come to the school to volunteer or pick up my child?

Yes, any visitor needs an ID each time they come into Westgate, for any reason. Our Raptor system will scan the ID and print off a name tag. This shows a visitor has been signed in at the front office. We will keep all ID’s until a visitor leaves and then it will be returned. Please make sure anyone that is authorized to pick up your
student, even a parent/guardian brings an ID, otherwise, they will not be released.

You can find additional information on our Volunteers and Visitors page.

How do I authorize someone else to pick up my student from school?

If someone other than the parent/guardian listed in IC is going to be picking up your student, you will have to provide the office with something in writing and include the following:

State who will be picking up your student
What date or dates they will be picking them up
If it will be an early pick-up time

If you wish to have this person listed as someone who can pick up your student at any time you authorize them to, you can fill out a Student Pick-Up Authorization form. These forms can be picked up at the front office. If you do not provide something in writing, your student will not be released to the specific person.

Please remember:
You must let office staff know any time someone other than a guardian will be picking up your student, even if they are on the authorized pick-up list. Adding them to the list just means you do not have to provide this in writing each time but can instead call the school.

Can I volunteer or observe a classroom my student is in?

Yes, we welcome all parents/guardians who would like to volunteer in the classroom to do so. Unfortunately, we do not allow any parents, friends, etc. to visit or observe a classroom during the day, as it is a distraction to the learning
environment. If you would like to volunteer in a classroom, you will need to contact the teacher directly and set something up. In order to volunteer, you must have a volunteer agreement signed, pass a background check and bring your ID to the school.

Find the information on Volunteering on our Volunteers & Visitors page

If my student needs medication at school, what procedures do I need to follow?

ALL medication given to a student requires us to have medical forms filled out by a doctor. If your student has allergies, needs an inhaler, or needs medication for any reason, please contact our Health Aide, Kirsten Hopson, at
[email protected]

Students should never be sent to school with medication and if a teacher sees that they have medication, it will be taken and given to the Health Aide until a parent can come pick it up.

Can I bring lunch and eat with my child at school?

Yes, we allow parents to come have lunch with their children during their scheduled lunch time and you can bring outside lunch for your student. You may not share or bring food for a student that is not yours.

You do need to pass a background check in order to be up in the pods and be around the other children during lunch time. If you haven't already done so, sign up for a background check a few days before you plan on visiting your student for lunch. Once lunch time is over, parents must leave as the school day will continue.

Can I bring birthday treats for my student?

Yes, you can arrange with the teacher when you would like to bring in birthday treats for your student. All treats must be store-bought, and the ingredients must be listed for the students who have allergies. Be aware that birthday treats will be given out towards the end of the school day, and there may not be a refrigerated area available to store them.