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November 2, 2018
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Calendar Reminder: Schools will be closed for students on Monday, 11/5, and Tuesday, 11/6.
As a reminder, schools will be closed for students on Monday, November 5, for a school planning day and Tuesday, November 6, for a teacher work day. Friday, November 2, is the end of the first quarter and will be a full day. There is no early release. Classes will resume on Wednesday, November 7. See the complete 2018-19 school year calendar.
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 Happy Birthday, Mister Cesar!
Dear Willow Springs,
Time sure flies when you’re having fun! Can you believe we’ve completed the first quarter of the school year as of today? Benchmark moments like these are the perfect time to reflect on all the successes and wonderful work that has happened thus far, and also the perfect time to remember all the reasons we are thankful to be part of the Willow Springs Elementary School community. So as we enter November, we thank all the educators and school staff that make it easy to love our school. Because at the end of the day it’s not the building, the books, or the technology that makes our school special, it’s the people who dedicate themselves each and every day to make this the very best place it can be!
And speaking of dedicated educators and staff, we invite you to check out the FCPS Employee Awards Nominations link below. We hope you will take a moment to nominate one (or more) of our staff members for this distinguished honor. We are very proud of all of them, and so thankful that they are part of the Willow Springs community.
Continuing on with our thankful theme in this week’s news... we truly owe Cesar, our daytime custodian, an immense amount of gratitude for everything he does for Willow Springs Elementary School each and every day! Cesar will celebrate his birthday this weekend, and we want to express our sincere appreciation to him for opening the Willow Springs doors every morning, greeting students as they enter the building each day, keeping our building clean, and a whole host of other things that he does behind the scenes to ensure we have the best learning environment possible! We will all celebrate Cesar this weekend and thank him for all that he does every single day to spread happiness!
Our 3rd graders took a field trip this week to Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly. The park is a fun place to explore, and while there our students were busy studying the aquatic habitats of local wildlife at Walney Pond. Also this week, several of our 5th graders became archaeologists as they participated in the BigDig this week. This program encourages students to learn more about the different layers of soil an archaeologist might encounter while digging at an archaeological site. During the exercise they also have an opportunity to uncover artifacts, decide who would have used them, what they were used for, and estimate the time period from which they are from.
Please remember that there's still time to vote for one of our 5 WTOP Junior Reporter finalists! Visit the WTOP Junior Reporter website and search for Quinn, Ainsley, Kaeden, John Mark, or Samantha. You can vote one time per day through Nov. 9, 2018, and your votes will ultimately help determine our winners. Winners will receive $500 for themselves and $1,000 for our school! They will also be featured on WTOP and receive a tour of the Glass-Enclosed Nerve Center.
Be sure to show your school spirit as SCA hosts Book Character Dress Up Day next Friday, November 9th, in anticipation for the Book Fair next Saturday, November 11th. And this weekend you’re invited to join Virginia Tech and 4-H at the Virginia Tech Maker Festival! This is a day full of creativity, engineering, and resourcefulness where you can learn to make just about anything. The event takes place at the Virginia Tech Northern Virginia Center in Falls Church.
Reminder: There is no school for students on Monday and Tuesday, so enjoy your four-day weekend! We look forward to seeing our students again on Wednesday, November 7th.
Sincerely,
Dylan Taylor, Principal
Rashida Green, Assistant Principal
Sara Van Aalst, Assistant Principal
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The Mott Center will be closed on Monday, November 12th.
Please submit a "Plan Change" for your child in PickUp Patrol.
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WTOP Junior Reporter 2018 Finalists
 VOTE DAILY!!!
We are aware of 5 students listed as finalists in the WTOP Junior Reporter Contest!!!!
Beginning Monday, October 29th - Friday, November 9th, please take the time to vote by visiting the WTOP's contest page; search Junior Reporter. Please share with all your family and friends and remember you can vote once daily. You need to be 13 or older to vote, so parents we're counting on you!
Everyone will be able to search in the 6-8th grade category for videos produced by John Mark, Samantha, and Kaeden. Quinn and Ainsley’s videos can be found in the K-5 category.
 The Virginia Tech Maker Festival is hosting its annual STEM festival at the Virginia Tech Northern Virginia Center in Falls Church, VA on November 3rd. The goal of this event is to increase STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) learning in all ages, nationalities, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The festival will have robots, experiments, and interactive games. Come join the fun and register now! To learn more about this event or how to volunteer, please visit our website.
WSES & FCPS Outstanding Employee Nominations
The FCPS employee award season is here again and your help is needed! Each school in the county is being asked to nominate employees for the following categories:
Outstanding Teacher
- Must have at least 3 years of experience as a classroom teacher, special area teacher, or librarian.
Outstanding New Teacher
- Must be within first three years of teaching profession as a classroom teacher, special area teacher, or librarian.
Outstanding Hourly Employee
- Hourly Office Staff, Hourly Program Assistants
Outstanding Operational Employee
- Administrative and Office Assistants, Bus Driver, Bus Attendant, Custodial Staff, Food Service, Instructional Assistant, Office Assistant, PHA, PHTA, Parent Liaisons
Outstanding Leader
- Assistant Principal, Instructional Coach, Resource Teachers, Psychologist, School Counselor, School-Based Technology Specialist, Social Worker, Speech/Language Pathologist, Technology Support Specialist
Schools can also nominate their principal for Outstanding Principal. (4+ years)
NOMINATION PROCESS:
Please click the link below and nominate any staff member at Willow Springs Elementary School that you think is doing an awesome job serving our students and community.
STAFF NOMINATION FORM
Note: The deadline to submit a nomination is November 16, 2018.
- You can nominate as many employees as you wish during the nomination window.
- SCHOOL WINNERS FROM LAST YEAR CAN BE NOMINATED AGAIN.
- You must include your name when you nominate the person.
- Each nomination must include a brief paragraph stating why you believe this person is deserving of this honor.
- WINNERS AT THE COUNTY LEVEL RECEIVE A CASH PRIZE.
- After all nominations have been received, voting will take place if there is more than one nominee in a category.
If you nominate someone and they win you will have to complete a Nominator Form and/or Letter of Recommendation to help this person win at the Pyramid, Region, and County levels. Please do not nominate someone if you cannot help with this part of the process.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact the Willow Springs Award Liaison, Krystal Styles at krstyles@fcps.edu.
Meet the Author
 4th and 5th graders had an opportunity to meet writer, cartoonist, and comic book maven Marc Tyler Nobleman this week! He stopped by Willow Springs to inspire our students and provide an opportunity for them to ask questions directly to an author.
3rd Graders Study Aquatic Habitats
 Ellanor C. Lawrence Park is a 650-acre park in western Fairfax County with a history that spans 8,000 years. The park’s habitats include forest, streams and a pond, and it is home to many species.
1st Graders Design Google Slides
 First grade students used voice typing tools and practiced CTRL+C and CTRL+V shortcuts to decorate & describe their digital pumpkins this week.
Save the Date!
The annual Willow Springs Book Fair at Barnes and Noble will be held on Sunday, November 11th from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. There will be fun activities, performances by our talented student musicians, readings by our staff, and a special appearance by Willow, our school mascot. A complete schedule of activities will be made available closer to the Book Fair. So start working on your holiday wish lists!
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AAP Level IV Screening
An AAP Level IV Screening Information session will be held at Willow Springs on Monday, December 10, 2018 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the Willow Springs Cafeteria. Mrs. Murray, the Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART) will review procedures, important dates, answer questions regarding what should be included in the referral file, and how documents need to be submitted. The meeting is open to grade 2-6 parents. For more information visit our website.
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#WillowPride: Sharing our Story @WSESfox
So many great things happen in WSES every single day. Share the awesome examples of innovation, creativity, collaboration, and pride in our school and community by using the #WillowPride hashtag on Twitter.
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WSES Looking Ahead
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Now! - WTOP Junior Reporter Contest Daily Voting (until Nov 9th)
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Friday, November 2nd - First Grading Period Ends
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Saturday, November 3rd - VA Tech Maker Festival & Centreville Robotics STEM Fair (visit WSES website for details)
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Monday & Tuesday, November 5th & 6th - Teacher Work Days; Student Holidays
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Friday, November 9th- SCA School Spirit Book Character Dress Up Day
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Sunday, November 11th - Book Fair, Barnes & Noble, 12193 Fair Lakes Promenade Drive Fairfax
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Monday, November 12 - Mott Center Closed for Veterans Day; School Open
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Wednesday, November 14th - PTA Meeting 7:00 p.m. (Library)
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Friday, November 30th - Movie Night - The Lorax, 6:00 p.m. (Cafeteria)
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Thursday, December 6th - Restaurant Night, Mezeh Mediterranean Grill, Fair Oaks Mall
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Monday, December 10th - AAP Level IV Screening Information Session 9:30 a.m. (Cafeteria)
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Tuesday, December 11th - School Garden “Green” Committee Meeting, 8:00 a.m. (Ms. Harris’ classroom)
Notable Dates; November 5th & 6th - Teacher Work Days; Student Holidays; Thanksgiving break, November 21-23; Winter break, December 24, 2018-January 4, 2019; Spring Break, April 15-19, 2019; and the last day of school, June 13, 2019.
Visit the Willow Springs Elementary PTA website.
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