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Dear Parents and Guardians:
I am incredibly honored and humbled to introduce myself as the new, proud Principal of Westfield High School! I look forward to working closely with the community to continue Westfield’s tradition of excellence while also pushing ourselves into the future. This type of work requires a strong partnership between school, students, families, and all community members. Please know that as a school we will be invested in these relationships and will frequently reach out to you for your feedback and ideas. To that end, I will be hosting a virtual “Meet and Greet” this week, Tuesday, March 9th, starting at 6:30pm. This will be an opportunity for you to get to know me better and also give me some feedback on your experiences at Westfield. We will be sending out access information for this event tomorrow, Monday March 8th.
This week was a great first week of welcoming some of our 9th and 12th grade students back to our building. While it is certainly not an ideal environment, our faculty and staff have been working incredibly hard to provide the best instructional experiences possible for all students, both virtual and in person. It is important to remember that none of us have been in this type of learning environment before, and that there will be situations that we haven’t seen or experienced. Please stand alongside us as we work through this time and do what we can to support students. We are a Bulldog family and this is a new journey for all of us; together we will make it great.
I look forward to seeing and meeting you on Tuesday!
Go Bulldogs!
Tony DiBari
Proud Principal
Westfield High School
Important Upcoming Dates:
March 8: Student Holiday
March 9: Principal Meet and Greet
March 15 & 22: English 11 Writing SOL Testing
March 26: End of 3rd Quarter (Early Release)
March 29-April 2: Spring Break
Updates for Students Remaining Virtual:
Many of our students will remain virtual this year while some of our students return to in-person learning soon. Virtual learners are a vital part of our school community and we are excited to see you participate in all activities and athletics that Westfield offers. On March 9th, teachers will be teaching from the building, and in some cases from home, to students who are in the building and at home at the same time. FCPS refers to this as Concurrent Instruction. In the first few days of concurrent learning, in person and virtual learners will be adjusting to this new way of learning and building routines and new expectations. Teachers will use technology in the classroom to ensure that students at home and at school can access materials and information.
Here are some tips for our virtual learners:
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Log on to your BBCU or Google Meet during every class time, following our updated bell schedule – School starts at 8:20 and ends at 2:50. You’ll have your break for lunch at home based on your 5th or 6th period class.
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Listen carefully for instructions – During class time your teacher may have you work in breakout rooms on a task while they work with learners in person, then swap tasks so the in person learners work on a task while the teacher meets you in a breakout room. Be sure to listen so you know what work to complete and where.
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Ask questions – You might use a different method to get your teacher's attention when they are working with in person learners. Listen carefully for instructions of how they want you to ask questions. You may need to raise your hand (in the virtual classroom) or turn on the microphone to ask your question rather than typing in the chat.
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Teachers will use a variety of different technology – In some cases, your teacher will ask you to turn on your microphone and ask questions or answer questions and the students in the room will raise their hands and answer. Sometimes your teacher will paraphrase or repeat what is said so all learners, at home and at school, hear the question or answer. You might see your teachers’ face on camera, a screen shared or even see a teacher pointing a camera at the class or a demonstration.
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Collaboration with your peers- Working on group projects and engaging with your peers will continue. You are still a member of your class community! You may be paired with an in person student to work collaboratively in a google slide deck, Jamboard, responding to peer Flipgrids and other collaborative work.
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Classroom monitors may be present in some of your classes. A monitor will be in a classroom when a teacher is instructing virtually from home. If a teacher will be teaching virtually, a classroom monitor will be present to support in-person students in the classroom. The teacher and the students at home will still log into Blackboard Collaborate Ultra (BBCU) or Google Meet. In-person students will be in the classroom and BBCU or Google Meet will be projected to interact with the teacher and classmates while engaging in learning.
Welcome Back to In Person Learning Westfield is excited to welcome back students to the building. In order to prepare for this exciting time, we have provided some detailed information below in regards to procedures for returning in person.
On March 9, 2021, we will continue welcoming students back as our 10th and 11th grade students at Westfield High School who have elected to return to in-person learning will start to return to the building. Students with the last names A-K, have their in-person school days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Students with the last names L-Z, have their in-person school days on Thursdays and Fridays.
Bus Transportation & School Meals:
- Transportation To/From School: Bus stops will be posted in SIS Student Vue & Parent Vue the week before students are scheduled to return to in person.
- Meals at School: Breakfast & Lunch will be available at no cost in the cafeteria daily. Students will be required to maintain social distancing in the cafeteria at all times.
Safety Measures:
- Students must wear their masks over their nose and mouth while at school, all day. Please ensure that students have extra masks in their backpacks.
- Students must distance themselves from their peers and staff by 6 feet at all times.
- Student desks in classrooms are set up to maintain 6 feet of social distancing.
- Students are encouraged to wash their hands regularly throughout the day. Hand sanitizer will be available as well and it is important that students take care of their own personal safety.
- Numerous hallways are one way only, so the building might look a little different to students.
Outside Food:
As an additional safety precaution, we will not accept any food or beverage deliveries at our school to include parent drop off, fast food or local delivery services. We are continuing to limit the number of visitors entering our building, as well as minimize office staff handling outside packages.
At this time, lunch is available at no charge from our cafeteria or your student can bring their lunch from home.
Health Screening Commitment Form:
Parents or guardians who chose in-person learning for their child are required to complete a Parent/Guardian Health Screening Commitment form as students are phased back into in-person learning. This document indicates the parent or 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. The commitment form is available in English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese. Additional information is available at https://www.fcps.edu/return-school/student-health-and-safety-guidance-document.
Medication Drop Off:
Please make sure that you have completed the proper medical authorization form.
Please make sure that the medication is in the original pharmacy or manufacturer container that includes over the counter medications.
Please make sure the medication is not expired.
Student Parking:
In preparation for students returning to in-person learning, the Westfield Security Team has finalized our process for those wanting to obtain a parking pass. The dates as outlined in this process are based on a Group 8 return to school of March 2, 2021 and are subject to change per decisions made by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). Additional information can be found on the Westfield Student Parking Website.
The following important items should be noted:
- Parking hang tags will only be distributed to Westfield seniors, juniors, and sophomores who are verified as having opted for in-person learning AND whose intended primary mode of transportation is driving themselves.
- Fees for obtaining a hang tag for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year are waived. Reinstatement of fees for subsequent years are at the discretion of FCPS.
- Parking spaces are randomly assigned.
- Parking remains a privilege and not a right; therefore, it is not guaranteed. It will be based on space availability as determined by FCPS and the on-site Safety and Security Specialist.
- We cannot process applications for students who do not currently have a driver’s license, or for those who are not chosen for in-person learning.
- If a student obtains a driver’s license at a later date or selects in-person learning at a later date, there will still be opportunities to apply for parking at that time.
- It is mandatory that both student and parent or guardian complete the application process together (estimated time 20-30 minutes).
Please direct any questions to Safety and Security Assistant, Amy Coots at Acoots1@fcps.edu.
2021 STUDENT PEACE AWARDS
Students from 24 Fairfax County public schools have been named recipients of the 2021 Student Peace Awards of Fairfax County, designed to recognize young people who work as peacemakers. Recipients will be recognized at a virtual reception in March.
The Student Peace Awards of Fairfax County were begun in 2006 to encourage people to think more about peace as both a means and an end, and to recognize young people who work as peacemakers. Every year, the high schools in Fairfax County are asked to select one junior or senior, or a group of students, whose work has promoted peace. The project is organized by volunteers and funded by donations from 17 secular and religious sponsoring organizations.
Westfield recipients are:
Westfield Minds Matter, Westfield High School works to change the school culture regarding mental health. Group members have organized open conversations about mental health to increase help-seeking behavior, promote connections, and increase healthy habits and coping skills. They established a teacher and administrator mental health panel in the hope that their concerns will be addressed by adults outside of their meetings. They are also working to ensure students have access to needed resources for mental health.
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