Willow Springs Elementary School Weekly Update

January 31, 2020

Several students and their teachers showed #WillowPride by participating in January SCA Spirit Days!

Dear Willow Springs Families,

This week our beginning 4th grade strings students performed their debut concert, in which they showcased all of the fundamental skills they’ve learned since September. At the end of the performance, our students invited their families onto the stage to teach them how to play a D Major Scale. What a wonderful evening of music-making!

We want to send congratulations to our own Makenzie Mikesell, 5th-grade teacher, who was awarded Elementary Teacher of the Year for the Fairfax Pyramid. Our teachers work so hard at their craft every day to provide a great educational experience for your children, and it is rewarding to see one of the best around get such recognition. Good luck to her as she moves on in the FCPS Honors process!

We also send special thanks to our two school counselors, Amanda Seminario and Tamela Shelton, who day in and day out help our students achieve school success. I hope you will join us in celebrating National School Counselor Week by sending our school counselors a positive message below!

Just as our students enjoyed SCA Fox Day earlier this month, it was nice to cap off our school week with "Jersey Day", which is one of our students' favorites during this time of the year! We look forward to our next SCA Spirit Day on February 21st.

Enjoy the Super Bowl! See everyone Monday!

Dylan Taylor, Principal

Lesley Hassen, Assistant Principal

Rashida Green, Assistant Principal

February 3 - 7 is National School Counselor Week

February 3 - 7 is National School Counselor Week! Please take a moment to thank Mrs. Seminario and Ms. Shelton for all that they do! You can write anything you would like here, maybe you can tell your counselor why you value them, thank them for how they helped you, or some other positive message! This link will be live through February 8.

Strings Students Shine!

Fourth grade beginner strings students had their first concert performance Wednesday night and were great. So were their families, who performed in the finale! We appreciate Ms. Aban and Ms. Venne's passion for our Strings program!

Open now through March 13, 2020 to students in grades K-12.

The Doodle for Google Contest has kicked off for 2020. The theme this year is "I show kindness by..." For the contest, students use their imagination to create a google doodle based on what kindness means to them. These links provide more information and a short clip from Jimmy Fallon revealing last year’s winner. Two years ago the winner was a first grader!

The contest is open now through March 13, 2020 to students in grades K-12.  There will be a state winner from each state/territory, national finalists, and one final national winner. A few WSES foxes have already begun to formulate ideas about how they are going to begin their doodle for Google! There are very exciting prizes waiting to be won!

If you have any questions or if your child is interested in participating, please feel free to contact Mrs. Murray at saguidicemur@fcps.edu.  She is happy to help guide, answer questions, or give feedback.

How it works

Contest form

Prizes

Last Year's winner

Positivity Project

#OtherPeopleMatter is the Positivity Project's motto, hashtag, and the spirit of their movement. This week we thought about the meaning behind the motto and how it relates to supporting others. We focused on supporting others when they struggle and an overall #otherpeoplematter mindset. When you see someone having a hard time, do you step in and ask what you can do to help? How did you learn to tie your shoes? Who taught you to read? Why is it important to support others when they struggle? How do you feel when you support others? How do people support you?

Next week, we will learn about forgiveness. Those who demonstrate forgiveness have the ability to move forward after someone has hurt them. Forgiveness doesn't mean you have to say that what they did was okay, but it does mean that you're ready to move on. Remaining bitter and angry increases your stress levels, and forgiveness helps an individual release that resentment. Forgiveness shows that you're a strong person.

"Let us forgive each other - only then will we live in peace."

-Leo Tolstoy

FCPS Outstanding Employee Honors Awards Willow Springs Elementary proudly recognizes our Fairfax Pyramid winners for Outstanding Teacher and Outstanding Professional Employee!

Outstanding Teacher School Pyramid Winners

Outstanding Professional Employee School Pyramid Winners

Congrats Makenzie!!! Good luck at the regional level. We will receive news on region winners for these categories sometime in March.

Interested in Family Tech Talks? 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. Interested in more sessions? Let her know here!

Thank you for supporting our Book Fair and Literacy Night! Families attended a variety of learning sessions as well as enjoyed dinner from various food trucks! Students were able to purchase books at the book fair and meet local children’s author, Karen Fulkerson.

Family Literacy Night 2020 Family Feedback Survey

Thank you so much to those that attended our first Family Literacy Night! We value your input and strive to continually create a stronger connection between home and school for all our students. If you were unable to complete the feedback survey at Family Literacy Night, please take 5-10 minutes to complete this survey.

In addition, the FCPS Parent Resource Center (PRC) has a number of free workshop opportunities. Find out more here.

Parent Resource Corner Help Your Child LOVE Math!

All children are capable of being successful in math when they have a growth mindset and believe that perseverance makes a difference. Unfortunately, negativity around math can start early, especially when exposed to various math stereotypes and myths.  Dr. Judy Willis suggests the following strategies to help your child love math in her article “I Hate Math”- Ways to Instill a Love of Math in Kids: 

• Be a Math Supporter Avoid statements such as, “I was always bad (or good) at math.”  Instead be enthusiastic and focus on potential.
• Be positive and personal Make positive comments about math and try to point out math all around you.  For example, calculate the amount of time before something starts, go to the store together determine which items have a better value, or discuss what measurements would be needed to double or half a recipe.

• Make Math Active Use sidewalk chalk to create a large number line and have your child add/subtract while jumping along the number line.  

• Encourage Class Participation Fear of making mistakes often holds a child back from participating in class.  Play will math at home often and help your child understand that errors and mistakes are part of the learning process.
• Teach Stress Busters Help your child reduce stress by teaching them to take deep breaths or think of a favorite memory. Also help your child make connections between math challenges and other challenges they have overcome.

Looking for a reason to skip kitchen duty? Want to hang out with some of the most amazing families in Fairfax County? Are you up for a chicken nugget eating challenge?

Please join us on Wednesday, February 12, from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., at Chick-Fil-A (Fair Lakes), 4516 Fair Knoll Drive, Fairfax, for our first Restaurant Night of 2020. There will be nugget eating contests (teachers vs. teachers, teachers vs. students, etc.), a play area for the kids, and lots and lots of CHICKEN!! Hope to see everyone there for a night of family fun!

Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) WatchDOGS are fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and other father-figures who volunteer for at least one day each year.

Thank you to all the dads that were able to join us during our first semester of Watch D.O.G.S. Our next session will continue through Friday, May 1. If you would like to become one of our fabulous Dads of Great Students, please click here to sign up, or contact Jason Fullen at jfullen@gmail.com to see what days are still available.

Please “like” our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Willow-Springs-Elementary-Watch-DOGS-114349693260613/

"Stay Healthy. Wash Your Hands!"

#ffxhealthykids

Washing your hands is the best way to stop germs from spreading. When kids come in contact with germs, they can become sick just by touching their eyes, nose, or mouth. Once they are ill, it is usually just a matter of time before the rest of the family gets sick. When your family is healthy, you don't need to worry about missing school, work, or other activities. For effective handwashing, follow these simple steps: wet, lather, scrub for 20 seconds, rinse, dry. When taught early, handwashing can become a lifelong healthy habit. Children learn by modeling behaviors of adults. When you make handwashing part of your routine, you set an example for your children to follow. For more information, click here. 

Lock Down Drill

Every school facility in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has in place crisis management and emergency preparedness plans, designed with the help of the school system’s security planning staff, local law enforcement, and emergency management officials. Plans are regularly reviewed and updated. The plans include procedures to respond to critical incidents, like fire and tornadoes, and we practice these drills regularly. 

In order to meet the requirements of the amended Code of Virginia 22.1-137.2, each school is required to conduct four lockdown drills every year. All schools conducted two lockdown drills during the first 20 days of school. Our third lockdown drill was successfully conducted on Monday, January 13, and the remaining drill will be conducted during the remainder of the school year.

A lockdown is a well-established procedure designed to protect students and staff members in a case in which there might be threats of violence within a school. During a lockdown, students remain in their classrooms or are escorted to classrooms if they are in the halls, and all interior and exterior doors are closed and locked. Once the facility is rendered safe and students are accounted for, the school is returned to normal operation.

While we have no reason to believe that any threat of violence will arise, it is always best to be prepared. It is important to train students and staff members so that we can effectively implement a lockdown in the event one becomes necessary. Training helps ensure a calmer, more effective lockdown.

SOL Testing Schedule Willow Springs Elementary Spring 2020

The Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) tests are required of all students in Grades 3-8 across the state by the Virginia Department of Education. SOL tests measure the extent to which students have learned the content and skills specified in the Virginia SOLs. In order to assist your spring planning, the SOL schedule is listed below. Please avoid appointments that will take your child out of school during testing.

Electronics Device Policy During SOL Testing

VDOE and Fairfax County Public Schools have an electronic device policy which is to be followed during all SOL testing. To maintain test security, the possession of these devices (e.g., cell phones/mobile communication devices, Apple Watch, FitBit) in the testing room is prohibited. If a student is discovered with a prohibited electronic device while in a test environment, the student’s test will be stopped, the electronic device will be confiscated, and the student will be removed from the test environment. School administrators, consistent with the Acceptable Use Policy and Student Rights and Responsibilities, have authority to search the “item of personal belonging” (e.g., the cell phone or mobile device) if it is believed to contain evidence of a violation of school regulations (in this case, cheating). School administrators have the right to apply school-based consequences based upon their investigation of the situation. Please talk to your student about the electronic device policy and the serious consequences of violating it.

Looking Ahead

• February 3-7 – National School Counseling Week
• February 12 – Restaurant Night, Chick-Fil-A at Fair Lakes (5:00-8:00 p.m.) 4516 Fair Knoll Drive
• February 17-21 – Custodian Appreciation Week
• February 17 – George Washington's Birthday, Presidents' Day, Student Holiday
• February 21 – SCA School Spirit Day - Video Game Character Day
• March 3 –  Student Holiday
• March 20 – Spirit Night; Centreville HS, Doors open at 6:00 p.m. 

FCPS 2019-20 School Year Calendar

Visit the Willow Springs Elementary PTA website.

5400 Willow Springs School Road Fairfax, VA  22030 | Phone: 703.679.6000
Attendance: 703.679.6066 | Web | Twitter