How Do Westlake Kindergartens Rate? Find Out Here!

Check out our interactive database to see how students in Westlake and other local districts performed on the last state report card.

Parents of Lee Burneson Students Get Helpful Tips

Area principals offer advice on everything from helping students get organized to navigating social media.

Students Leave Summer Behind, Go Back to School

Westlake school year off to an early start, but fortunately without extreme heat.

Natalie Bert beamed Thursday afternoon when she spoke of her first day of third grade at Dover Elementary School. "It was really fun," she said. "There wasn't a lot of homework, but we had games and talked." Students like Natalie weren't the only ones excited about heading back to school. "I'm 38 years old and, between my own school days and working in education, I have had 32 first days of school," said Paul Wilson, principal of Lee Burneson Middle School. "I still love the first day of school, and seeing the excitement in everyone's faces. This is like my Super Bowl." Do you have first-day-of-school photos? Share them here! Westlake City Schools started the 2012-13 school year Thursday, a week ahead of many schools in the area. The early…

• Photos (9)

How Much Will You Spend on Back-To-School Supplies?

You might be surprised at the national average.

With Westlake City Schools starting Thursday, local parents may be in a state of sticker shock after the last rounds of back-to-school shopping. According to the National Retail Federation, the average person with children will spend $688.62 on back-to-school. That's up from $603.63 in 2011.  Parents will spend an average of $246.10 on clothes and $217.88 on electronics. Even with that increase in spending, 84.8 of parents said that the economy will affect how they spend on back-to-school. Almost 40 percent will do at least some of their shopping online, up from 31.7 percent last year. Eleven percent of parents said that they are cutting back on their children's extracurricular activities to save money. Parents are expected to spend $83.8 …

• Photos (1)

Tips for Middle School Success

Local principals point out some common pitfalls and share tips for parents and students.

For parents with students making the transition from an elementary school to a middle school, these next few weeks can be a challenging time. Students are becoming more independent, but parents still want to help. "I don't think the kids are as scared of middle school as the parents are," said Patrick Mc Nichols, principal at Roxboro Middle School in Cleveland Heights. The local principals who talked to Patch agree that parents should stay involved, but there are ways to help students spread their wings. Here are a few tips. Parents and teachers, add yours in the comments. Encourage students to get involved The biggest problem students face is trying to make connections socially and figuring out where they fit in, said Brecksville-…

• Photos (1)

Parkside Intermediate Supply Lists Shared

Just two days left before school starts!

The clock is ticking louder for parents of Westlake City Schools students, who head back to school on Thursday. As they spend these last two days making sure their children are ready to go back, Westlake Patch is making things a bit easier by posting the supply lists for each school. Today, it's Parkside Intermediate School. There are lists for fifth grade and sixth grade. You can print out the PDF forms attached here, or check them out on your phone at the store, to make sure you're getting everything your child needs to start the school year.

• Photos (1)
• Documents (2)