Parent Participation

Westland believes in a cooperative educational environment and depends on a high level of parent participation in school activities.

Our community is a network of people working, playing, sharing, and learning together. In fact, we feel so strongly about participation that each family is required to help through Hot Lunch, field-trip driving, the Fair, committee work, and volunteer hours. The strong and vibrant community that grows from this involvement is the heart of the school and the anchor for a deeply enriching, once-in-a-lifetime experience for parents and students alike.

Hot Lunch
Each family agrees to participate in our Hot Lunch program as either a cook or baker. On Fridays, one of nine parent-teams meets in the kitchen to prepare a hot lunch for the entire school. A benefit for the parents is a chance to meet and work beside parents of other groups. Alternately, parents can participate by being bakers who are given recipes for desserts that can be prepared at home and sent to school on their assigned Fridays.

Events/Fair
Each year parents and students participate in such fundraising events as book fairs and farmers’ markets, plus our annual Fair in May, when the entire Westland community comes together for great food, homemade games, and lots of fun.

Field Trip Driving
Field trips are an integral part of the Westland curriculum, bringing the classroom into the outside world. The children benefit greatly from having their parents on trips with them, and parents gain deeper understanding of the curriculum. Each family is required to drive two trips per school year.

Parent Committees
Westland thrives from the collective efforts of its entire community. Because parent committee work sustains a number of important functions on campus, one member of each family is required to serve on at least one ongoing parent committee. Committee examples include Library, Buildings and Grounds, and Westland Fair. This committee work brings parents together.