 First
graders learned about the importance of healthy eating, courtesy of FCPS’ Office
of Food and Nutrition Services.
Note from Dr. Sheers
Pyramid Challenge is TOMORROW at Irving Middle School (rain or shine). Please bring 4 cans of food to benefit Food for Others
- Pyramid Challenge Race Schedule:(arrive an hour before your race to check in and get t-shirt)
- 10:00: 1/2 mile - Kindergarten (boys and girls)
- 10:15: 1/2 mile - First Grade (boys and girls)
- 10:30: 1/2 mile - Second Grade (boys and girls)
- 10:45: 1/2 mile - Third Grade (boys and girls)
- 11:00: School Mascot Race (weather permitting)
- 11:20: One mile - Fourth, fifth, sixth grade girls
- 11:40: One mile - Fourth, fifth, and sixth boys
If your child did not register, but still wants to run, come, check-in, and have them wear a GREEN shirt. Go Mustangs!
 Up
until 2016, the space near our entrance was unused and frequented by litter
and loitering. West Springfield Elementary School parent Emily Young saw
potential and a little vision for the space and approached Dr. Sheers about
creating something nice in the space. With the go-ahead from Dr. Sheers, Young
went with into full garden overhaul over the course of two years. One project
led to another, from painting beautiful designs on rocks to creating a fairy
garden using a fallen tree. Bird houses grace the trees, colorful posts pop
with cheer, and a cobbled path guides visitors around each little surprise,
including a story told one stone at a time. Every year, she and her daughters,
with the help of the girls’ Girl’s Scout troop, plant 1,000 tulips in the fall
that fully bloom in the spring. Young volunteered her time, energy, and money
into the garden, even going so far as installing an underground water hose to
water the garden space from her house next door and installing cameras to
prevent vandalism and theft and maintain the beautiful integrity of the garden.
West Springfield Elementary students, families, and the community around love
the space and look forward to the ever-changing fairy garden that change to
match the season. Thank you for sharing your passion and vision, Emily! We love the space and appreciate your time and energy!
 In the STEAM Lab, students have been focusing heavily on the
integration of their grade-level science content with their engineering
projects. Kindergarten is learning about living and non-living things so they
can help design a tool for scientists looking for new species. In first grade,
students are going to be exploring forces and motion as they work to design and
model a new piece of playground equipment. As shown in the picture, our second
graders have used what they are learning about magnets, including polarity and
magnetics vs. non-magnetic materials, to design a magnet-powered model for a
pumpkin mover.
In the upper grades, students are really being
challenged to use science to solve complex problems. Our third graders have
learned about plants, pollination, and the anatomy of flowers and are combining
that knowledge with what they are learning about the uncertain hypotheses
behind honeybee colony collapse disorder to engineer a new plant species that
could help support honeybee populations.
Finally, our sixth graders have completed their
research on different planets and moons in our solar system to develop a resort
concept located on another body in our solar system. They are having to account
for challenges posed by the planet’s distance, gravity, atmosphere, and
composition to design a fun and engaging, but scientifically-plausible, concept
for their resort. They are getting ready to record presentations they will be
sending to SpaceX trying to persuade them to begin investing in preparations
for their resort concept. By the time these students are graduating from
college, maybe they will be helping SpaceX make these plans become reality!
News and Notes
Veterans Day Performance
We are beginning to
prepare for our Veterans Day Performance that will be held at 9:30 a.m on
November 12. We need volunteers to serve on our military panel who have served
or are currently serving in one of the armed forces. Please email our school
counselor, Ms. Brooke Menard, if you are available to help at bnmenard@fcps.edu.
As we prepare for our Veterans Day Assembly, we ask that families share
pictures of their family, extended family and/or relatives that have or are
currently serving in our military forces and share a picture or pictures at:
https://WSES.filepiper.com/vetsday2018
Friendly Reminder About Instruments
Our students have been
enjoying our Band and String programs at WSES. Unfortunately, many forgotten
instruments are brought in by parents to the office.
Understandably, students
sometimes forget, so please be aware of the office protocol for handling
instruments brought in by parents.
●
Instruments
will be placed on the round table in the office.
●
An email
will be sent to the student’s teacher and the band/string teachers.
●
The teacher
will notify the student and then the student will be responsible for coming to
the office and picking up the instrument.
Please note: Parents
cannot walk instruments down to the classroom and office personnel do not walk
instruments down to the classroom.
Student-Parent Survey For Federal
Impact Aid
Beginning
on October 16, FCPS will be asking all families to fill out a Student-Parent
Survey for Federal Impact Aid. Returning this form is important because
information from this survey results in an additional $3 million in grants each
year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all
Fairfax County public schools and centers.
For
each school-aged child in your household, please complete, sign, date, and
return the survey to your child's school. If sections 1 and 2 of the survey do
not apply to you, just check the box in Section 3. All forms must be signed,
dated, and returned by October 26. All results are CONFIDENTIAL. Learn more by
watching this short video featuring
Superintendent Scott Brabrand and the U.S. Army Garrison Commander COL Michael
Greenberg from Fort Belvoir. Video
link - https://youtu.be/QN_Xup7BgoE
Friendly Reminder About Instruments
Our students have been
enjoying our Band and String programs at WSES. Unfortunately, many forgotten
instruments are brought in by parents to the office.Understandably, students
sometimes forget, so please be aware of the office protocol for handling
instruments brought in by parents.
●
Instruments
will be placed on the round table in the office.
●
An email
will be sent to the student’s teacher and the band/string teachers.
●
The teacher
will notify the student and then the student will be responsible for coming to
the office and picking up the instrument.
Please note: Parents
cannot walk instruments down to the classroom and office personnel do not walk
instruments down to the classroom.
Yearbook Cover Contest
Attention Mustang
Artists! The yearbook cover contest is open to all students in grades K-6. The theme for this year is “Other People
Matter”. The front cover will be designed by a sixth grader and artwork from
kindergarten to fifth grade will be featured on the back cover. The deadline is
Wednesday, October 17. Most students finished their design during art class;
however, some students took their designs home to spend some extra time on it.
Please return drawings to Mrs. Whitbourne by the deadline in order for it to be
entered into the contest. Winners will be announced near the end of October.
Good luck to all Mustang Artists!
Book Fair Volunteers Needed
Our Fall Book Fair will
take place the week of October 22-26. We need your help with sales throughout
the week, for set up on October 18 and breakdown on October 26. We are also
looking for volunteers to come in on the preview day, October 19 to help our
students. As a thank you, volunteers who
help for at least one hour will receive 10% off of their purchases. We have
lots of opportunities to volunteer so please consider coming in and
helping. Even if you cannot help with
the event, don’t forget to save the date for Family Night Shopping on Tuesday
October 23 from 4-8 p.m. All proceeds from the Book Fair go to our library.
Please visit the Sign-Up Genius link below to select a time to volunteer. If
you have any questions please contact Mr. Rigsby at lsrigsby@fcps.edu.
WSES 2018 Fall Book Fair Volunteer Sign up
FLE
Information Night
On November 28 at
6:00 p.m. in the West Springfield ES Library, you are invited to attend an
evening opportunity to preview the Family Life Education media and lessons. Ms.
Dews, WSES Assistant Principal, and teachers from various grade levels, will be
available to answer questions about the lessons. All program materials and
media for all grade levels will be available for your review at this time.
More information
about the FCPS Family Life Education program, including detailed grade-level
program descriptions, is available at https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-family-life-education-fle.
To preview Family
Life Education (FLE) materials, each parent will have to have access to SIS
Parent and FCPS 24-7 Learning (Blackboard).
●
If you need to activate your SIS
Parent account, more information can be found at: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/technology/student-information-system-sis-fcps/sis-parent-account-registration.
●
If you already have a SIS Parent
account, please access Blackboard using the same username and password you use
for SIS.
Once you gain
access to your Parent FCPS 24-7 Learning (Blackboard) account, click on the
“Curriculum” tab at the top of the page.
All FLE Lessons are arranged by grade-level.
Some other helpful
links:
●
Year at a Glace & Opt Out
Docs: https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-school-academics-k-6/elementary-family-life-education.
●
Home Connections for All Lessons: https://www.fcps.edu/node/31548.
Program questions
may be addressed to Ms. Dews, sldews@fcps.edu; WSES Assistant Principal.
Community News
Fall
for the Book
George Mason
University will be hosting the annual Fall forthe Book festival from October
10-13. Fall for the Book is an independent nonprofit literary arts organization
that promotes reading by sponsoring a variety of year-round events and
activities, the flagship of which is the Fall for the Book festival held each
October. The festival as well as other activities for both children and adults:
● Connect readers and authors so that readers become acquainted on a
personal level with writers and their work in new and vibrant ways
● Illustrate the many ways reading encourages cultural growth through
empathy and knowledge
● Give children their first experience with the thrill of writing creatively
through tailored workshops and readings, as well as first publication
opportunities
Visit the festival’s home page to view the schedule and
plan your trip.
Spartan
Fest
On October 13, head over to West Springfield
High School from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the 32nd Annual Spartan Fest
Arts & Crafts Fair and Silent Auction. More than 45 WSHS clubs and teams
will be offering everything from games, face painting and temporary tattoos, to
a cake walk, chess demonstrations, and Spartan Jail. Crafters and vendors will
be selling unique products and there will be lots of great food options. Bring
the kids and neighbors to this exciting and worthwhile event. All proceeds
benefit the WSHS PTSA Teacher Mini Grant Program.
Fire
Station Open House
All thirty-eight Fairfax County Fire and
Rescue Stations will be hosting an Open House on October 13 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. County residents are
invited to stop by their local fire station to meet the firefighters that serve
them, get an up close look at the fire trucks and equipment, learn about fire
safety, and just generally have a fun time!
The theme this year is “Look. Listen. Learn. Be Aware. Fire Can Happen
Anywhere.” In a fire, mere seconds can mean the
difference between a safe escape and a tragedy. Fire safety education isn’t
just for school children. Teenagers, adults, and the elderly are also at risk
in fires, making it important for every member of the community to take some
time to make sure they understand how to stay safe in case of a fire. Drop
by your local Fire and Rescue Station, enjoy the activities and learn how to
stay fire safe in your home!
Dyslexia
Open House
October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. On
October 22, come join the Dyslexia Team at the Willow Oaks Welcome Center from
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. as they share the latest research in dyslexia. There will
also be information on how Fairfax County Public Schools supports students with
dyslexia. Stop by and learn more about dyslexia and meet representatives from:
●
Instructional Services Department
●
Assistive Technology Services
●
Office of Special Education
Instruction
●
School Psychology Services
●
Decoding Dyslexia Virginia
●
International Dyslexia Association
Save the Date
Saturday, October 13 WS Pyramid Challenge
Tuesday, October 16 Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact
Aid forms
go home
Monday, October 22 Fall Bookfair Begins in the Library
Tuesday, October 23 Family Shopping Night for Fall Bookfair
from 4-8 p.m.
Wednesday, October 31 Book Character Day
Thursday, November 1 Fall Picture Retakes
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