 What I love about WSES...
The end of an unimaginable school year is quickly drawing to a close. Looking back over it now, I am struck anew with respect for our amazing teachers. They are the real heroes of our school. Our entire staff has come together this past year to overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic. Thanks to everyone’s dedicated example, our students have also been incredibly resilient and hard working. Despite the struggles, we conclude the year with a great deal to celebrate. I believe our school community has grown closer and our students have successfully navigated transitions both virtual and in person. We are incredibly grateful for our parents and guardians at home whose steadfast support made these advances possible.
I am privileged to work for such a tight-knit community and honored to lead this wonderful staff and students. Together, we create the exceptional environment that makes West Springfield remarkably unique. We are #strongertogetherwses!
2021-22 Bell Schedule
- 8:50 AM – 3:35 PM K – 6 Grades
- AM Preschool 9:05 AM – 12:25 PM
- PM Preschool 12:30 PM – 3:50 PM
Virtual Family Paint Night
Join our fabulous art teachers Mrs. Whitbourne and Mrs. Mahon for a fun night of painting! We will look at some paintings to inspire us and then paint a still life of flowers in a vase. Your art teachers will guide you step by step. All you need to do is have your art supplies ready and join us in BBCU! All ages welcome to participate.
Supplies: Your art teachers will be demonstrating with a black sharpie, watercolors, and sketchbook paper but you are welcome to use any supplies of your choice! Other supplies that would work great include canvas and tempera paint, pencil, crayons, colored pencils, markers…or even a cut paper collage. Creativity is always encouraged!
All Students are Virtual on June 8 Due to Democratic Primary Election
Tuesday, June 8, is the Democratic Primary Election. Because the Fairfax County Electoral Board and City of Fairfax Electoral Board will be using 165 school facilities as polling locations, June 8 will be a virtual synchronous learning day (no In-Person classes) for students.
The WSES Summer Reading and Fun Program for 2021 is now open for rising 1st-3rd graders
The program is based in Google Classroom and offers fun themes for our students to explore. The 4 Themes are: Dinosaurs, Animals, Space and Pirates. These themes offer fun videos, activities, crafts and places to visit. MyOn book sets have already been assigned to the students and they can find them in the projects section of MyOn. Book lists suggestions for physical books have been created for each theme. There is also a link to the Fairfax Public Library Summer Reading Program so students can explore this program as well. The students will need to log into Google with their regular FCPS login and password and click this link to automatically enroll your student in the summer program. WSES Summer Reading and Fun Program Grades 1-3. If you have any questions please contact Mr. Rigsby at lsrigsby@fcps.edu or Ms. Carney at cmcarney@fcps.edu
The WSES Summer Reading and Activity Program for 2021 is now open for rising 4th-6th graders.
The program is based in Google Classroom and offers fun genres for our students to explore. The genres include: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Biography and many more while also offering fun videos, activities, suggested book lists and online materials. There is a link to the Fairfax Public Library Summer Reading Program so students can explore this program as well. The students will need to log into Google with their regular FCPS login and password and click this link to automatically enroll your student in the summer program. WSES Summer Reading Program Grades 4-6. If you have any questions please contact Mr. Rigsby at lsrigsby@fcps.edu or Ms. Carney at cmcarney@fcps.edu
Rising Grades 4, 5 and 6 Band and Strings Sign Up
In grades 4 – 6, students have the opportunity to start/continue an instrument. Fourth graders can choose strings, Fifth and Sixth graders can choose band OR strings. Students will receive one band/strings class a week. They will still have one general music class and will not miss any other instruction. Students must choose their selection prior to the end of the school year so that we can determine our band/strings staffing and schedule.
West Springfield Pyramid Art Show
Congratulations to our creative and talented Mighty Mustang artists who have been selected to be in the West Springfield Pyramid Virtual Art Show this year! Several WSES artists have art displayed on the Workhouse Arts Center website along with artists from surrounding elementary schools, Irving Middle School and West Springfield High School. Check out the amazing artwork here: https://www.workhousearts.org/exhibitions/west-springfield-pyramid-art-show/ Artwork will be on view through June 30, 2021.
Classroom Library Wish List
Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or unknown. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created and recreated by the author. Children also need books that are mirrors, that allow them to see themselves and their own experiences through the books they read.
We want to ensure we have representation of our diverse cultures in our classroom libraries at each grade level and provide our students opportunity for books that are mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors.
To do so, we ask for your assistance in purchasing from a wish list below to help fill our classroom libraries for the 2021-22 school year with books that offer windows, mirrors and sliding doors.
We sincerely appreciate your assistance in our efforts, we couldn’t meet this goal without you!
Respecting Our Neighbors
Just a gentle reminder to please be mindful when visiting the school and to take care not to block our neighbors' mailboxes, driveways, etc. when parking.
Summer Practice Books
Summer Practice Books will be mailed home to FCPS students to provide suggested activities for students to support continued learning. Families who have opted-out of paper mailings from the division will only receive digital copies of the Summer Practice Books. Books will be mailed home to families in early June to arrive before the last day of school, June 11, 2021. Families will receive email communication in May about upcoming book arrival. Digital versions of books will be emailed to the enrolling parent SIS account in PDF format the week of June 7, 2021.
- Pre-Kindergarten students will receive one interdisciplinary Summer Practice Book.
- Students enrolled in grades K-8 in 2020-21 will receive one Language Arts Practice Book and one Math Practice Book by course enrollment. These books will also include information and guidance about digital tools that can be accessed by students and families to support learning throughout the summer.
- English Learners and Special Education students may receive additional or customized books.
More information can be accessed on the Summer Practice Books public webpage.
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Happy Birthday to our Birthday Bingo Winners!
Jarred Abney
Connor Frese
Deanna Sumner
Mathias Teshome
Gavin Neibauher
Dahlia Padilla
Halit Tingir
Grant McCaughrin
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Technology Assistance
If you need technology support at home, please consult the FCPS Technology Support for Families page for troubleshooting assistance. If you need additional support, please contact the Parent Technology Help Desk at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS). This will be answered by staff members between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., seven days a week. They will forward your issue to WSES staff if it is something that needs to be resolved by the school.
Military Student Groups
If your military connected child is interested in participating in any of the virtual and/or In-Person student military support groups, please contact Kristen Mahoney for more information (mahoneyk@magellanfederal.com).
In-Person Student Laptop Return
- In-person students will return their laptop and charger in school - Grades K-1 on Wednesday, June 9th and Grades 2-6 on Friday, June 11th. Please be sure to send your child’s FCPS laptop and charger to school on their designated date.
Virtual Student Laptop Return
- Virtual families must plan on returning their FCPS laptop and charger on the dates and times below:
- Monday, June 14th between 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
- Wednesday, June 16th between 8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
All device returns for Virtual Only students will take place outside the main door. Parents can bring the laptop and charger to the staff members stationed outside the main door to drop off.
If you are unable to drop off during these times, please contact our Technology Specialist, Nadia Anwar at nanwar1@fcps.edu
Preparing your device for return
- Clean your laptop. First, make sure you completely shut-down or power off your laptop before you attempt to clean it. Using a Clorox wipe is fine as long as it’s not dripping wet, be sure to squeeze out any excess liquid. Wipe the screen, keyboard, trackpad, top and bottom covers. Make sure to leave devices powered off until they are completely dry. You may also use canned air (Air Duster) to clean out the keyboard. Do not use a vacuum cleaner on electronic devices; it will damage the device.
- DO NOT return the laptop sleeve, this is for your student to keep and use in the years to come.
- Unplug any dongles/receivers. It is very common for students to return devices with a wireless mouse receiver or Bluetooth dongle still plugged into a USB port.
- If you have put a webcam cover of any sort, please remove it carefully.
- Wrap up the cord. If your charger came with a Velcro strap, please use that strap to completely wrap the cord up. If it did not, any attempt to wrap the cord up would help tremendously.
My child is in summer school. Can they keep their device for summer school?
If your student is participating in any virtual summer learning programs, you may keep the laptop through August 6, 2021.
- Please fill out the Summer Intent Form to indicate if you will be keeping your FCPS issued laptop for summer learning.
- We will have a drop-off window at the end of summer learning programs.
- All laptops MUST be returned to the school that issued it.
Do You Have a Rising Kindergarten Student for the 2021-22 School Year?
You may register now by completing the FCPS registration forms and remitting your registration documents to Rita Rice, rarice1@fcps.edu.
In order to collect additional information regarding your child, we request that you complete this form. Completion will help us with placement information and ensure that we have proper staffing based on enrollment.
To ensure that you receive future communications, we encourage you to self-enroll and subscribe to News You Choose and select West Springfield Elementary. We look forward to seeing and meeting your child in 2021-2022.
Virtual Kindergarten Orientation
Our Kindergarten Orientation Power Point Presentation can be viewed here.
Resources
Attendance Matters
Here is how you may report your child’s absence, including tardies, and asynchronous participation:
Attendance Line | 703-912-4444
Main Office | 703-912-4400
Online | westspringfieldelem.attendance@fcps.edu
UPDATE – FCPS Meal Service When School is in Session
Save the Date
- May 31 – Memorial Day (Holiday)
- June 3 - School Paint Night @ 6:30 p.m.
- June 8 - Virtual Synchronous Learning Day (No students in building)
- June 11 - Last Day of School (2 Hour Early Release @ 1:30 p.m.)
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