Westlawn Family Message - November 22, 2020

Westlawn Family Message

November 20-27, 2020

Keeping Westlawn Families Informed


Thanksgiving

Dear Westlawn Families,

We thank you for another great week of learning in our virtual classrooms!  We thank our kindergarten and FECEP families for their patience when FCPS paused the return to school this past Monday.  We will make this a good year of learning for our children by staying positive, strong, and together.  

We are excited with the announcement of Mr. Christoph Hill as the new principal of Westlawn Elementary School. The future for the students, staff, and families will be bright under his leadership.

It has been my honor to serve as your interim principal.  I have fallen in love with the hard work done by the staff to support student engagement in learning during virtual school.  The best part of everyday is to visit classrooms to see the children learning.  On a personal note, thanks to Mr. Hill and Ms. Carpenter for sharing the leadership with me these past three months.  Stay safe and take care.

We wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Tim, Stephanie, and Christoph

In partnership,


 


Return to School Paused due to Health Metrics

The current health metrics for COVID-19 cases in our community now exceed the threshold to expand our in-person learning. Therefore, we are pressing “pause” and will delay expanding in-person instruction to Group 5, which includes Early Head Start, pre-K, kindergarten and select students who receive special education services, who were scheduled to return on Tuesday, November 17.  Any new pilot programs/classes scheduled to start tomorrow, November 17, will also pause. We are monitoring health metrics daily, but Group 5 will remain virtual until at least November 30. We will communicate additional updates closer to that time.

We made this decision as soon as new health metrics were released and are communicating it to you immediately as promised. We always anticipated the need to potentially adjust our return to school plans as necessary during this ongoing pandemic.   

Students and staff who have been attending in-person classes (Groups 1-4), and our existing pilots, will continue to do so. CDC Guidelines allow us to keep small cohorts of students in schools. If metrics change that impact in-person instruction for Groups 1-4, we will update you as soon as that information becomes available. Specific health metrics that guide our decisions on when new groups of students can return for in-person instruction, what is required to continue in-person instruction, and what would initiate a group being transitioned to distance learning are posted online.

We urge our community to help stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus: wear face coverings, maintain social distancing, and stay home when ill. More information on how to keep you and your family healthy is available here.

At this time, we do not have a return to school date for Pre K and Kindergarten students in person.  Virtual instruction will continue for all students


First and Second Grade Return to School Parent Meeting

Monday, November 23, 10am

In preparation for the return to school, we are holding parent meetings.  The purpose of the meetings is to share information about return to school, health and safety and answer your questions.  All first and second grade parents are welcome to attend.

Meeting Link: https://us.bbcollab.com/guest/cf86def7300f45d4bdfaab0c58f01efd

 

First and Second Grade Return to School Recording - November 16, 2020

https://us.bbcollab.com/recording/afc1ffe94a1c4d3393aa92320210601c

 

Presentation from November 16: First & Second Grade Parent Meeting_November 16.pdf


Return to School Family Guide

FCPS has created a family guide to help answer many of your questions regarding the return to school.  It can be accessed on the website here:

Family Guide for Return to School (PDF)

https://www.fcps.edu/returntoschool/familyguide


Principals’ Return to School Parent Meetings (Mondays 10-11 am)

To help keep up with plans for return to school, we will be hosting weekly parent meetings to share updates and answer questions related to FCPS’ plans to return students.  

Grades 1-2 Parent Meetings

  • November 23, 10am - 11am ***No tentative date for return

Grades 3-6 Parent Meetings

  • December 7, 10am-11am
  • December 14, 10am-11am ***No tentative date for return

 


Westlawn Virtual Family Event: Monday, November 23 - 6:30-7:30pm

Paint and Sip

Meeting Link: : https://us.bbcollab.com/guest/f9244fc123934a6fb188a74b0bef4f2d

Get your watercolors, crayons, paper, and favorite fall beverage ready and come join Mrs. Long and Mr. Stuebner to create some art! We’ll be creating a drawing of a favorite animal and then sharing our work with each other. If you don’t have watercolors or paper yet please call the office to come pick some up. 

Please fill out this Google Form so that we know where to send the link to the session. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/12i5m27oD0c4aFINrAn5-mONga-cqGY6Em1znxHvzdXs/edit?usp=sharing

 


Westlawn Technology Support - By Appointment Only

If your child is having a problem with their computer, please call the front office to make an appointment.  To keep families and students safe upon entering the building, all visitors will be asked to sign in indicating they are well.  In addition, we will be taking temperatures of all guests in the building to further ensure the safety of all of us.  


**Action Required:  Parent Health Commitment Form

Parents/guardians who chose in-school instruction for their child will be required to complete a Parent/Guardian Health Screening Commitment form as students are phased back into in-person learning. 

The document indicates the parental/guardian’s agreement and commitment to completing a daily health screening prior to sending the student to school and also to keep ill students at home. These health screenings will be done on an honor basis and will not be required to be submitted to the school each day. 

Families can complete this form in ParentVue – OR – submit the form to your child(ren’s) school.


Video: Creating a ParentVue Account

Do you need help creating a SIS ParentVue account? This video walks you through the steps on how to do so. Watch this video to learn how to set up your account.


Library Curbside Pick Up: Begins Monday, November 23

Curbside pickup will be available for all students in Grades 3-6 each Monday starting November 23 from 1-4pm.  Students may reserve 2 books using the online reservation system, Destiny Discover.  Books will be bagged for student pick up on the Kiss and Ride loop.

English: https://create.piktochart.com/output/50171936-curbside-pick-english

Spanish: https://create.piktochart.com/output/50171821-curbside-pick-espanol


 


PTA Announcement - Penguin Patch Holiday Shop

November 14-23

Our Penguin Patch Holiday Shop is starting soon! Be sure to mark your calendars for November 14 to have your student(s) go online to shop for their loved ones. Our shop will run online from November 14 to November 23. For every item your child purchases through our online store a portion goes directly back to our school. So the more they shop for the ones they love, the more our school makes.

Bring joy to your kid and place your order at https://shop.penguinpatch.com to ensure guaranteed delivery for Christmas. Westlawn PTA's school code is 20200574.


Reminder: Referral Window for Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) Level IV Screening Consideration Ends December 1

Tuesday, December 1 is the close of the window (Sept 8-Dec 1) for parents to submit a referral form for their student to be screened for full-time Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) Level IV. The parent referral form, submitted to the school, is one pathway to have a student screened for AAP Level IV. Parents should not wait for an announcement of the second grade screening pool if they want to make sure their student is screened for AAP in the coming screening cycle. Parents of students in grades 2-7 will need to submit the referral form by December 1.

Referrals will not be accepted after December 1. For more information about AAP Level IV or the screening process, please visit

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/advanced-academic-programs.


Classroom Monitors Needed 

As student groups return to school, additional adult monitors are needed in many classrooms to support concurrent learning.  Parents may be hired to monitor classrooms and students at lunch, recess or specials.  In order to serve as a classroom monitor, a background check must be completed.  If you are interested, please contact Westlawn administration for the link.


Meal Kit Program Wednesdays from 8am - 12:30pm - Meals will be available on Tuesday, November 23 for Thanksgiving Week

We are excited to announce that we will begin distributing FREE Fairfax Meal Kits containing seven days of breakfast and lunches at Westlawn Elementary starting on Wednesday, October 28.

Meals will be prepared in the kitchen each week.  The meals will be contained in 18 X 24 bags, the breakfast bag will have seven milks, seven grains, and seven juice and lunch bag, seven entres , seven servings of fruit and vegetables and seven milks.   

Families may drive to the front of the school, request the number of bags they would like and staff will distribute.

The kits will be available for pick up from 8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. or until they run out. Meal kits will be available to ALL FCPS students and children 18 years of age and under at no cost. Each meal kit will contain breakfast and lunch for one person for a week. Parents and caregivers may pick up one meal kit for each child. Adults may purchase meal kits for $28.

 Instructions on how to store the food and prepare it will be provided.

 Our goal is to provide every FCPS student daily access to a healthy breakfast and lunch.


Meal Kit Menus

https://fcps.nutrislice.com/menu/westlawn-elementary

Weekly meal kits will be available on Tuesday, November 24 next week.


Upcoming Dates:

Student Holiday:  Wednesday, November 25 - Friday, November 27

Asynchronous Days for First and Second Grade:

November 16

November 30

December 3

December 4

December 7

On asynchronous days, there will not be any live instruction.  Teachers are actively preparing for students’ return to school.  On these days, students may work on assignments not completed, choice boards provided by teachers or off screen learning activities.