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December 13, 2019
Greetings, Willow Springs!
This time of year brings a lot of holiday celebrations and traditions, and at Willow Springs, it also means winter concert season! The Strings Winter Concert at Lanier was terrific! Even Principal Taylor joined in on the fun! Our student musicians worked hard, and you could see the results in their performance on stage. Our students are truly a talented bunch, and we are fortunate to get to see their musical talents grow throughout the year! You will have another opportunity to hear our WSES musicians at the Winter Band and Chorus Concert this Tuesday, December 17th, in our WSES cafeteria.
This week was also Computer Science Education Week, and we had a blast exploring many different types of code! Students in all grade levels were able to experience coding through various programs such as Osmo Coding with Awbie, Scratch, ASC-II binary code, Hour of Code, and many other platforms. We were wowed by their enthusiasm to learn, engage in collaborative conversations, and showcase higher-level thinking. We look forward to continuing to offer these opportunities for students throughout the year.
'Tis the season for giving! Our sixth graders have paired up with local homeless shelters and hope to receive an outpouring of 'mini' toiletries! Our students ambitiously hope to assemble at least 200 bags for local homeless shelters. Also, our SCA Vice President, fifth-grader, Shea Connaughton, is spearheading a campaign to collect winter coats for a local charity, Nurturing Families, that helps kids in our area. The deadline for all donations is Friday, December 20th. There are collection bins located between the clinic and the office, which we hope can be filled to overflowing many times. Thank you for your support in this endeavor.
Enjoy the weekend. We look forward to seeing everyone on Monday.
Sincerely,
Dylan Taylor, Principal
Lesley Hassen, Assistant Principal
Rashida Green, Assistant Principal
Seasonal Health Room Reminders
The Health Department recommends that you and your family members take the following steps to protect yourselves from illnesses this season:
- Vaccinate your child and yourself against influenza this year and every year. As long as influenza is circulating in our community, it is not too late to get a vaccine.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water. Teach your children to wash their hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, alcohol-based hand sanitizers may be used.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and throw tissues in the trash after use. If tissues are not available, cover coughs and sneezes with your upper sleeve.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Germs spread this way.
Do not send any child experiencing communicable symptoms to school. If your child comes to school with a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, he or she will be sent home. Keep your child home and away from others until the child has been symptom-free and without fever for at least 24 hours without the use of medication (i.e., he or she should not attend school, school functions, sporting or extracurricular activities, or leave home except to seek medical care).
- Please dress your child appropriately for the weather.
- Your child may carry cough drops, throat lozenges, and lip balm in their backpack.
Please contact the Health Room with any questions and concerns. Have a healthy and illness free season.
Positivity Project
This week we will learn about humility. Humble people have an accurate (not underestimated) sense of their abilities and achievements. They hold the capacity to acknowledge their mistakes and limitations, and are open to advice and new ideas. They do not show off their possessions or accomplishments. Humility and modesty are often characterized as synonymous with shy or meek. This is false. True humility is a sign of strength; it is a quiet confidence in who you are. It requires an honest self-reflection on your strengths and weaknesses, and self-control over ego, arrogance, and vanity. It encapsulates a person’s feelings, thoughts, and actions. It includes resistance to false modesty or the “humble brag.”
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SCA Coat Drive
Please take a minute to go through your closet and help spread the warmth of the season!
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The Willow Springs SCA is collecting new and gently used winter coats, and we need your help! Please bring a warm coat and our SCA will donate it on your behalf to our friends at Nurturing Families. Nurturing Families is a local charity that helps abused and neglected kids in our area. Next week they are having an event called the Last Chance Holiday Boutique where teachers and families could come in and get free coats and other supplies for children in need. The deadline for the coat donation is Friday, December 20th. Thank you to Shea Connaughton, our SCA Vice President, for spearheading this campaign.
Congratulations Science Olympiad Team
 This weekend, 27 students represented Willow Springs at NCS Invitational - Div. B Science Olympiad, a middle school level competition, at National Cathedral School. This year’s medalists are as follows:
Anatomy – 1st place - Saketha Vijay, Zoe Paige
Heredity – 3rd place - Dylan Truncellito, Medha Valluri
Ornithology – 3rd place - Saketha Vijay, Zoe Paige
Boomilever – 4th place - Arjun Mohey, Medha Valluri
Crime Busters – 4th place - Medha Valluri, Mila Basto
Ping Pong Parachute – 4th place - Harry Yu, Nithilan Srinivasan
A huge congratulations to all our Willow Springs Participants. We are so proud of all the time, effort, and initiative that you put into your projects!
Game Night Success
 Thank you to all our families that made it out for our first ever Family Game Night. With over 285 games and 100 puzzles to choose from, our families had a wonderful time in the cafeteria and gym, turning off their devices and having some good old-fashioned family fun. A huge thank you also goes out to our amazing PTA and all our volunteers. We couldn’t have done it without you!!
Thank You for Supporting the Book Fair
 A huge thank you to everyone that made it out to Barnes and Noble on Saturday to support our Book Fair. It was so much fun seeing the excellent performance from our Fox Ensemble, Advanced Band, and Jump Rope Team, as well as listening to our fantastic faculty read their favorite stories. Thank you to all our volunteers for making this event hugely successful.
What is the Hour of Code?
Computer Science Education Week
December 3rd - 9th
A one-hour introduction to computer science The Hour of Code began as a one-hour coding challenge to give students a fun first introduction to computer science and has become a global learning event, celebration, and awareness event. HourOfCode.com offers hundreds of one-hour activities in over 48 languages for kindergarten and up. Activities require no experience, include built-in video tutorials and will run on browsers, tablets, and smartphones -some do not require any computer at all. More than 100 million students worldwide have already tried an Hour of Code. Our Hour of Code is making a statement that Willow Springs Elementary is ready to teach these foundational 21st-century skills. Visit https://hourofcode.com/us/learn for details and try out some coding activities with your child.
Advanced Academic Programs (AAP)
Level IV Full-time Services Referral and Screening Information
The deadline for referring students in grades 2-7 for AAP full-time Level IV consideration is due no later than January 9, 2020. Parents are welcome to submit early, but no late referrals will be accepted. We advise parents not to wait for pending ability scores if they would like their student screened.
If you would like additional information about Level IV AAP services or the screening process for Level IV, there are two parent presentations available on the AAP public website that have the same information that was shared at our local school information meetings.
AAP Overview
Screening and Identification
Referrals may be submitted to Mrs. Murray, our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher any time through January 9. Questions? Feel free to email Mrs. Murray at: saguidicemur@fcps.edu
Enjoy More Family Tech Talks in the New Year
Interest Survey for Family Tech Talks!
 Thank you to Ms. Christine Li for hosting our parents in Family Tech Talks! Christine Li, 5th-grade teacher, has gone above and beyond to ensure that parents are knowledgeable about classroom technology used in our classrooms. She facilitates before and after school sessions around various topics for parents in all grades, K-6. Interested in more sessions in the upcoming new year? Let her know here!
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Save the Date!
Join us for Literacy Night on Jan. 16, and meet children's author, Karen Fulkerson!
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WSES Family Literacy Night
Thursday, January 16th, from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Please join us for a fun-filled evening for our first WSES Family Literacy Night on Thursday, January 16, from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Parents and their students can attend a variety of learning sessions as well as enjoy dinner from various food trucks and purchase books from our very own book fair in the library. Come and meet local children’s author, Karen Fulkerson. Ms. Fulkerson will be available to sign her book and will hold information sessions about her book writing process. Her book, Oceans!: A Kayful Books Seek-And-Find Adventure, is available for purchase on Amazon.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
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Parent Resource Corner
FCPS Parent Resource Center YouTube Channel
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Did you know that the FCPS Parent Resource Center (PRC) has a YouTube channel where they post videos of the parent workshop classes they provide. This is a great resource if you are unable to attend one of their workshops in person. Topics of past workshop videos recently posted include:
Watch these past parent workshop videos and more by checking out and subscribing to the FCPS Parent Resource Center YouTube Channel.
More information and resources are also available on the FCPS Parent Resource Center homepage.
PTA Budget Update & Vote
Due to the hugely successful results of our Boosterthon this year, we have found ourselves in the unique position of needing to update our budget to increase our spending. Please click here to find the updated budget. The notable changes from what was previously submitted are the addition of our Watch DOGS program, two water bottle refill stations (for our front lobby and cafeteria), and a new electronic marquee for the front of the school. Please take a few minutes to look over the budget and let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
Have Carpentry Skills?
 Our STEAM teacher, Ms. Fisher-Maltese, is looking for a parent volunteer who has carpenter skills who might be interested in helping her and our 4th and 5th-grade ENCORE students build a bird blind and a weather station for the school's outdoor classroom. Please email her at cfishermalte@fcps.edu if you can help. This nature observation station will benefit students at all grade levels in the life sciences for years to come!
STEAM LAB DONATIONS
The STEAM lab is also in need of a few recyclable household items. The following items would be appreciated for an upcoming 3rd-grade project:
- 1-liter plastic bottles
- Gauze (at least 4 in. x 4 in.)
- Nylon stockings
Inclement Weather and Emergency Closing Plans; Make Arrangements Now in Case of an Unforeseen Schedule Change
Cold and wintry weather will soon be here! Due to inclement weather or other emergency situations, it may be necessary to close schools for the entire day, to open schools late, or to close early.
Parents are urged to make arrangements now for the care of their children when schedule changes are made (and to provide for the rare situation when it is necessary to close an individual school because of a power failure or other circumstances). Children should know where to go if a parent will not be home.
FCPS has several schedules set up to deal with inclement weather; these are put into effect when conditions threaten the safety of students and staff members:
- Keep schools closed.
- Open two hours late.
- Close two hours early.
When Fairfax County Public Schools has a schedule change (closing or delay) due to inclement weather or other emergencies, the information is communicated in several ways as soon as the decision is made.
Note: The official @FCPSnews Twitter account (with blue checkmark) is generally the first and fastest mode of communication during emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be updated as quickly as possible, including email, text, website, other social media, and news stations.
Please be aware, due to the large volume of emails sent, there will likely be a lag between the time a FCPS Twitter alert is posted and receipt of an email in your inbox.
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Schools are open with a regular schedule Monday, 12/16, through Friday, 12/20
December 23 - January 3, 2019 Winter Break
Classes will resume on Monday, January 6
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Looking Ahead
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December 17 – Winter Chorus / Advanced Band Concert; 7:00 p.m. WSES Cafeteria
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December 18 – PTA Meeting, 7 p.m., WSES Library
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December 23 – January 3, 2020 – Winter Break
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January 9 – AAP Level IV Referral Deadline
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January 16 – WSES Family Literacy Night
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January 20 – Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday - Student Holiday
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January 24 – End of Second Quarter
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January 27 – Teacher Workday - Student Holiday
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January 27 – Professional Development Day - Student Holiday
Notable dates include Winter break, December 23, 2019-January -3, 2020; Spring Break, April 6-10, 2020; and the last day of school, June 12, 2020.
Visit the Willow Springs Elementary PTA website.
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