Westridge Warriors Weekly - Welcome Back to School 2026-27

Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year! I hope you had a wonderful summer filled with time to relax, recharge, and create lasting memories.

A very special welcome to our newest Warriors—our 6th graders! We are so excited to have you join the Westridge family and can’t wait to see all that you accomplish. To our returning 7th and 8th grade students, welcome back! We are excited to continue building on the success of last year. And to our incredible faculty and staff, thank you for your dedication and commitment to making Westridge a place where every student can thrive.

I am incredibly proud to announce that Westridge Middle School is officially a B-rated school! This achievement is a direct reflection of the hard work of our students, staff, families, and community. While we are proud to celebrate this accomplishment, we know our journey is just beginning.

Every student, every classroom, and every day matters as we work together toward excellence. Through high expectations, strong relationships, and a commitment to learning, we know our Warriors are capable of reaching new heights.

As we begin the school year, we ask all families to review several important expectations with your child:

We also invite all parents, guardians, and community members to become involved in our school by attending our first School Advisory

Council (SAC) Meeting:

Your voice and partnership are important as we continue to make Westridge the very best it can be. We encourage everyone to attend and be part of the exciting work happening at our school.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Together, we will celebrate our accomplishments, overcome challenges, and continue Blazing the Trail to an A!

Here’s to an amazing school year!

August 11 – First Day of School

August 12 – Soccer Tryouts

August 25 – Picture day

September 3 - FAST PM1 Math

September 7 – School closed – Labor Day

September 8 - FAST PM1 ELA

September 10 – SAC meeting at 5:30 PM

Our teachers have been hard at work preparing engaging lessons and activities. This week, we encourage students to actively participate in class discussions and seek help when needed. Please help us to encourage every student to participate in class. Remember, asking questions is a key part of the learning process!

We want to remind everyone about the importance of regular attendance. Being on time and present not only supports your academic success but also fosters a sense of community. Let’s strive for a strong start by making every school day count!

Car riders please make sure to follow the carline and not allow your student to walk through traffic. Safety needs to be our number one priority.

Wanting a Parent/Teacher conference? Reach out to your students' guidance counselor.

6th Grade - Chelsee Crawford Chelsee.Crawford@ocps.net

7th Grade –Shannon Folsom Shannon.Folsom@ocps.net

8th Grade – Valerie Cope Valerie.Cope@ocps.net

Students should not be on campus prior to 8:45 AM. If you need to drop off prior to 8:45 AM, please register your student for the YMCA Before School Program. Information can be found here. In addition, the first period begins at 9:30 AM.  

Volleyball is our next sport. Athletic paperwork and physicals must be completed and properly uploaded in Aktivate. Volleyball practices will be conducted every day for approximately 1.5 – 2 hours after dismissal time. Athletes are expected to attend all of the practices unless they have arranged with the coach otherwise. Athletes are required to have and maintain a 2.0 average and exhibit leadership and good behavior to be considered and remain on any Westridge sports team. If you have any further questions please feel free to contact the following: 

Athletic Director - Shawnette Johnson

Parents need to opt IN to clinic services. This means that unless you have completed the health forms we will not be able to assist your student in the clinic. Health forms can be completed digitally on Skyward Family Access or you can fill out the forms and turn them into the main office. Those forms can be found below.  

Please make sure all-important parent/guardian information is up-to-date in skyward. 

Volunteers must re-register each year through the image link below.

See information about the Parent Square platform and links to social media.