|
Dear Westgate Families,
We hope you had a fabulous weekend and also a Happy Mother's Day celebrating all the incredible moms in our school community.
Thank you so much for showering our teachers with thoughtful treats, letters, videos, and pictures last week. We all felt, and appreciated, your generosity and sweet acts of kindness. It was so nice for teachers to be recognized and celebrated for all the hard work and dedication they put into teaching our students.
Please note that we will be collecting ALL student laptops prior to summer vacation. We are working on a drop off schedule (for virtual students) and will have that to you in the coming weeks. In-person students will simply just leave their laptop and charger at school on Friday, June 11 (last day for students). Laptop collection is necessary so that they all can be cleaned, repaired and reimaged for students to use in the fall. Please remember that students who have been issued a FCPS laptop and charger will need to return them during this time to avoid being charged for the equipment. Thank you in advance for your help in this process.
As we continue to sprint towards the finish line of the 2020-21 school year, we appreciate your continued support of our teachers and staff. We are excited to begin the planning process for next school year, and all the positive possibilities it holds for us.
Have a wonderful rest of your week and weekend ahead!
All my best,
Hallie Demetriades
Principal
New Student and Kindergarten Registration Information
Do you have, or know of a new student or rising kindergartener scheduled to come to Westgate next year? Please spread the word that registration is underway as we are are excited to meet our newest Wolves. Registration information for kindergarten and new students can be found on our website here. You may also contact our registrar, Tracy Green, at tmgreen@fcps.edu if you have additional questions.
|
Activate Your Parent SIS Account Today
Parents & Guardians, please take a moment to activate your SIS Parent Account today.
Request your activation key here: https://itweb.fcps.edu/ParentView/index.cfm Once you have the activation key, activate your account here: https://www.fcps.edu/node/31379 Your SIS Parent account will provide you with access to your student’s grades and allow you to update emergency contact information online as soon as your account is activated.
For next school year, this account will be vital to accessing school and class information through our Schoology (pronounced /SKOO-luh-jee/) our learning management system beginning at the start of the 2021-22 school year. We will share more information about Schoology as the new school year approaches.
|
End of Year (EOY) Celebration Ceremonies
To celebrate our students as we finish out this most unique school year, we will continue the tradition of our EOY classroom ceremonies. All ceremonies for Grades 1 - 5 will be virtual and both in-person and virtual students and parents will be able to participate in the event. You will receive a link from your child's classroom teacher closer to the date so you may virtually join the event. Our 6th grade students will have a streamed in-person ceremony (students only) and specific details surrounding that will be sent directly from your child's classroom teacher. We hope that many of you will be able to take part in these celebrations!
Friday, June 4 - PreK @ 9:30 a.m.
Thursday, June 10
9:15 a.m. - 5th Grade
10:15 a.m. - Kindergarten
11:15 a.m. - 2nd Grade
12:30 p.m. - 3rd Grade
2:00 p.m. - 1st Grade
2:45 p.m. - 4th Grade
Friday, June 11 - 6th Grade Promotion Ceremony @ 10:00 a.m. (Students Only); Parent celebration to follow @ 11:30 p.m.
|
SOL Schedule - Grades 3 - 6
Please see below for the most updated SOL schedule for students in Grades 3-6. You should have received an email from Westgate regarding SOL testing regardless if your child is currently receiving in-person or virtual instruction. If you have any questions concerning SOL testing you may reach out to our Assistant Principal, Mr. Cooper @ egcooper@fcps.edu.
Student Intention Form for 2021-22 School Year
To help us plan for next school year, please complete this Student Intention Form here by May 15 if your child will NOT be returning to Westgate for the 2021-22 school year. If you have any questions, please contact Tracy Green, our registrar, at TMGreen@fcps.edu.
Returning Strong: Five Days in the Fall
FCPS is returning strong for five days a week of in-person learning in the fall. Five days of in-person learning is guaranteed by a new state law that instructs all public schools to provide five days of in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year. Our dedicated teachers have missed their students and are very excited to be back together in the fall, continuing our exception, nationally-recognized education programs.
One-page handout on five days of in-person instruction for the SY 2021-22.
Videos sharing diverse perspectives from parents who have returned their children to in-person instruction:
La madre de tres hijos explica que es importante que sus hijos hayan regresado a la escuela.
|
Westgate Yearbooks
Even through this unique school year, we are excited to again be offering a Westgate Yearbook! This year’s yearbook is $15 and order forms will be going home in the next few weeks. We will also place it for order on Myschoolbucks by April 15. If you pay through Myschoolbucks no order form is necessary.
In addition, Westgate will be doing a special 6th grade section of the yearbook again this year. It will include baby and family photos. If you have a 6th grade student and wish to include your child’s photos, please email them to westgateyearbook@fcps.edu or send them to school in an envelope with your child’s name and teacher. They will be scanned and returned.
Due to current pandemic circumstances, yearbooks will not be finished prior to the end of the school year. However, you will still be able to purchase them in advance and can pick them up when they are delivered this summer. We are excited to be able to provide this opportunity for students again this school year.
|
Diversity in STEM Talk - TJHS
The PTSA Diversity Committee of the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology will hold its last Diversity in STEM Talk for the school year in May! This series is especially for elementary and middle school students in grades 4-8.
Dr. Zephania Birech will be our guest on Monday, May 17, at 6 p.m. He will be joining us all the way from the University of Nairobi in Kenya. Dr. Birech earned his Bachelors of Education with a major in Physics and a minor in Mathematics from Kenyatta University, Kenya in 2000. He then taught physics for seven years at a Kenyan high school before pursuing his doctoral degree at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, where he earned his Ph.D. in Physics in 2012. Dr. Birech is currently a Lecturer -- equivalent to an associate professor at U.S. universities -- in the Department of Physics of the University of Nairobi. He is leading a laser physics research group to investigate light-matter interactions for solar energy harvesting and single-molecule detection. Join us in May to find out more about Dr. Birech and his projects!
Parents, register at this Zoom link*: http://bit.ly/TJStemTalk5
*To ensure you receive the Zoom link, do not use an FCPS schools student email account!
Submit questions in advance here: https://bit.ly/tjdiversitytalks
Information and recordings from past Diversity in STEM Talks can be found on the TJ PTSA Diversity Committee webpage: https://tjptsa.com/committees/diversity/
|
Immunization Requirement Updates
Effective July 1, 2021, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) will require new school entry immunizations. All grade levels will be affected by these additional immunizations.
Required for School Entry:
-
A minimum of two doses of Hepatitis (A) vaccine are required: For SY 2021/2022, Kindergarten students must have two doses of Hepatitis A.
- A minimum of two doses of Meningococcal (MenACWY) vaccine are required: For SY 2021/2022, 7th grade students must have one dose and 12th grade students must have one dose.
-
A minimum of one dose of Rotavirus (RV) vaccine is required: One dose is required for students less than eight months of age.
|
FCPS PreK and Early Head Start is Accepting Applications for 2021-22
¡FCPS PreK y Early Head Start ya está aceptando aplicaciones para el año escolar 2021-22! Por favor mire este video para ver si su hijo de 3 o 4 años puede calificar para PreK. Para aplicar en línea: www.fcps.edu busque: PreK Correo electrónico: fcpsprekoffice@fcps.edu. Para más información llame a la línea de español: 703-208-7901.
|
Amazon Smile - Support our School!
Looking for an easy way to support Westgate? We have an AmazonSmile account! Every time you shop at Amazon and select the Westgate PTA as your designated charity, and .5% of your purchase will be donated to Westgate. You can click here (https://smile.amazon.com/ch/54-1561076) to get started! Just remember, to shop at smile.amazon.com instead of the regular Amazon page each time you make a purchase! Supporting Westgate couldn't be easier!
|
FCPS Technology/Support for Families
Parent Technology Help Desk
FCPS has launched a toll-free Parent Technology Help Desk to assist families with technology issues. The number is 1-833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS). It will be answered 7 a.m.-11 p.m., seven days a week. Parents who need help in a language other than English should let help desk staff know, and an interpreter will join them on the line. (FCPS has Parent Information Phone Lines available in eight languages to assist with general questions about FCPS.)
FCPS has also created an online portal for older students and parents/guardians to request technology help.
|
|
