Thanksgiving Holiday Break This Week
School will be CLOSED to celebrate Thanksgiving Wednesday, November 24th through Friday, November 26th. The office will also be closed. School will reopen on Monday, November 29th at the regular time.
We wish all of our Spartan families a happy and healthy Thanksgiving Break!
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, 11/23 – FCPS Outstanding Staff Award Nominations Due
Wednesday, 11/24 - Friday, 11/26 – Thanksgiving Holiday Break
Tuesday, 11/30 – 9th Grade Signs of Suicide (SOS) Prevention Program
Thursday, 12/9 – Band Concert
Tuesday, 12/14 – Orchestra Concert
Wednesday 12/15 – Choir Concert
Monday, 12/20 – Friday, 12/31 – Winter Break
FCPS Outstanding Staff Awards Nominations
Nominations for the FCPS Outstanding Staff awards are now open! Please consider nominating a deserving member of our school staff and faculty. The categories for nomination are:
- Outstanding Teacher
- Outstanding New Teacher
- Outstanding Principal
- Outstanding Leader
- Outstanding Professional Employee
- Outstanding Operational Employee
Employees can be nominated by anybody in the West Springfield Community, including fellow staff members, students, families, or school leaders. Please consider filling out this Google Form Link for a deserving candidate by Tuesday, November 23.
Signs of Suicide (SOS) Prevention Program
The teen years are marked by a roller-coaster ride of emotions that may be difficult for teens, their parents, and educators. It is easy to misread depression as normal adolescent turmoil but depression, one of the most common mental illnesses, appears to be occurring at a much earlier age, and the past decade has seen teen suicide rates double nationwide.
To proactively address the issue of depression among our students, on November 30, 2021 through advisory classes, West Springfield High School is offering to 9th grade students a depression awareness training utilizing the Signs of Suicide (SOS) prevention program. This program has been used by many schools, including several FCPS schools, and has proven successful at increasing the number of students seeking help because they are concerned about themselves or a friend. The students will view a video and then be given an exit survey which gauges information learned from the video and asks students to identify if they have concerns about themselves or their friends.
The goals of the program are:
- To help our students understand that depression is a treatable illness.
- To explain that suicide is often a result of untreated or unidentified depression.
- To impress upon teens that they can help themselves or a friend by taking the simple step of talking to a responsible adult about their concerns.
We encourage parents/guardians to view the parent information video for information on warning signs of suicide, useful resources, and some of the key messages students will learn. The parent information is available in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, and Korean. If you have any questions or do NOT wish for your child to view the video and to participate in exit survey, please contact your child’s counselor via email by Friday, November 26, 2021. If we do not hear from you, we will assume your child has permission to participate in this program. For specific concerns about your student, please contact their counselor.
Student Activities Highlights
Looking for information about upcoming winter sports... try-outs, coaches, athletic registration, athletic boosters, or a calendar of Spartan games? Stay abreast of important information, upcoming events, team highlights, scoreboard and more at the official site for Spartan Athletics.
PTSA Happenings
Support the West Springfield High School PTSA by becoming a member or volunteering. Find out more here.
If you missed the last PTSA meeting, one of the highlights was a discussion on helping students navigate stress. We pointed parents to resources provided by our Student Services Department, featuring a professional briefing on finding balance; a virtual teacher panel highlighting various ways that parents can best support their student(s); and a demonstration on how to navigate Schoology and SIS Parent Vue from a parent's perspective. These briefings were oriented to 9th Grade parents, but they will be helpful to all of our West Springfield parents and guardians. You can access these resources below:
Stress Less: Finding Balance in 9th Grade Workload
Understanding ParentVue and Schoology
9th Grade Teacher Panel
Parent Resources
Upcoming Parent Resource Center Webinars
Preparing for the Unexpected: Challenges of the Military Family
Did you know military-connected students experience different “seasons” as they navigate their school years?
Using tools from her book, “Seasons of My Military Student,” Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman will offer relevant support for navigating the school year.
Highlights include:
- Mental health of military-connected kids and teens.
- Storms in any season - What parents need to know about deployments, injuries, separations, and loss.
- Known and little-known resources for military families to get you through storms and everyday life.
- How to prepare for an off-cycle move.
Join Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman for the second of a four-part series supporting military-connected families. (The first part of this series can be viewed on the Parent Resource Center YouTube Channel.)
December 3, 2021, 10 - 11:30 a.m.
Register for Preparing for the Unexpected: Challenges of the Military Family
Upcoming COVID-19 Vaccine Pediatric Clinics
Fairfax Health District and Fairfax County Public Schools are hosting school-located COVID-19 vaccine clinics for children ages 5-11 years old. All vaccinations are free. The closest clinic in our region will occur at Keene Mill Elementary School, December 17th and January 7th. No appointment necessary. Find more information here. Access Spanish version here.
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