Westlawn Family Message
September 3, 2021
Keeping Families Connected!
Hello Westlawn Families,
Thank you to all our families who joined us yesterday for our weekly Community Conversation. It is imperative for families and the school community to continue meaningful and consistent dialogue as we move forward through these challenging times.
Know that the COVID communications you have received this week are just as hard to write as they are to read. Each one ignites a fear and anxiety that has unfortunately become routine these past 18 months. We will move mountains to keep our community healthy and thriving. Your children's safety remains our highest priority.
The positivity and support you continue to provide each day is more powerful than you know. I'm including a brief portion of a communication I received from one of our families this week that I feel needs to be shared: "We were all given a bunch of lemons over the last 18 months but Westlawn made a phenomenal lemonade given all the challenges...Please let the teachers and other staff know that parents out there see their hard work and that they are greatly appreciated." The feeling is mutual. Together we will overcome.
- September 3 & 6 - Labor Day Break
- September 8 - Back to School Night (Virtual Event)
- September 17 - Fall Picture Day
Next week we take another step on the road to recovery.
Together, we are strong. Together, we unite. Together, we soar.
We are Westlawn.
In Proud Partnership,
Christoph Hill, Anaya Bryson and Stephanie Carpenter, Westlawn Principals
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Community Conversation - Thursday, September 9, 10:00AM
We will have a community conversation on Wednesday, August 25 at 10:00AM. We will provide updates to health and safety protocols and procedures, but the majority of the time will be dedicated to questions from families. Access our virtual meeting here.
Meeting ID: 969 4110 1694
Passcode: 292225
Virtual Back to School Night
We invite families to join Westlawn teachers at our Virtual Back to School Night this coming Wednesday, September 8. Your children's teachers will hold two sessions; one beginning at 6:00PM and one beginning at 6:45PM. Information will be identical so families only need attend one session. Grade level links will be sent to families early next week.
Lunch
We are utilizing multiple spaces, indoors and outdoors, to ensure children we maximize distance between children to the greatest extent possible. We are monitoring student distance in the lunch line, and prompting students often to replace masks in-between bites and post-meal. Parents are welcome to pack lunches for their children in the morning, and we ask that parents do not bring lunch in during our lunch block.
Health Screening Questionnaire
To keep our community safe and our children in school it is imperative that we carefully monitor our students for signs of illness, and keep kids home if they display possible symptoms of COVID-19. We ask that each morning families self-assess their children using the Health Screening Questionnaire provided below.
HealthScreeningQuestionnaire.pdf
Westlawn is seeking individuals to serve as student monitors!
Enjoy working with students? Westlawn is seeking individuals within our community to serve as student monitors. Student monitors provide supervision support in the classroom, lunchroom, and outside. If you would like more information about the position, please review the job description and apply online.. Please feel free to share information about this opportunity with anyone else you think may be interested.
FCPS is seeking individuals to serve as substitute teachers!
Are you or somebody you know interested in substitute teaching with FCPS? Apply here or attend one of our Friday information sessions to learn more! To sign up for a session visit our substitute information page here. Say Yes to FCPS!
Outdoor Learning and Dining Areas
In an effort to keep our outdoor learning and dining areas beautiful for our children, we ask for able community members to donate to our Westlawn Outdoor Learning Fund. Funds donated will be used for upkeep of our outdoor learning and dining spaces will include, but not limited to costs of materials, pond maintenance, gardening equipment, and ground cover.
Supporting our Families
Many of our families communicate more comfortably in a language other than English. We have staff members ready to support these families.
Families speaking Spanish can contact Ms. Hilda Reyes, family liaison, at hreyes@fcps.edu.
Families speaking Spanish can contact Ms. Vu, at tnquachvu@fcps.edu
Bus Transportation
Find out more about bus routes on our website and download the Here Comes the Bus mobile app.
If you or someone you know has interest in becoming a bus driver for FCPS, now is a great time to come on board! FCPS is offering up to $2,000 in a signing bonus for new bus drivers who meet eligibility requirements and complete the new driver employment criteria. Find out more and apply today!
Forms, Documents, and Apps
Students' Rights and Responsibilities - Signed by October 29, 2021. You many print, sign, and send with your child to school, or log into ParentVue and sign electronically.
Here Comes the Bus - Information on bus schedules, routes, and live notifications
Opt-Out Forms
Join Scout Night Event
On Wednesday, September 15 our local Cub Scout Troop will host the Join Scout Night Event on the Westlawn Field. A flyers will be sent home with more information.
Health and Safety Guidance Webpage
Our Health and Safety Guidance Webpage has the most current information about our layered prevention strategies, what happens if your child becomes ill at school, and the process when there is a pause in instruction or activities after a positive COVID case.
Schoology
Students, families, and staff throughout FCPS and in our school community will use Schoology (pronounced /SKOO-luh-jee/) as our learning management system.
Here is what you need to know now:
Girls on the Run
We are proud to announce the initiation of the Girls on the Run program at Westlawn! We have three coaches to support our program, which means a total of 24 girls can participate. Our first team of eight is complete, which leaves 16 available slots. If you are interested in having your daughter participate, email the Westlawn Principals. We have extended the submission date to Monday, September 13.
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