Upcoming Events
Thursday, 03/03 – 2 Hour Early Release
Friday, 03/04 – Student Holiday (Staff Professional Development Day)
Thursday, 03/31 – End of Third Quarter - 2-hour Early Release
Friday, 04/01 – Student Holiday (Teacher Workday)
Monday, 04/04 - Friday 04/08 – Holiday (Spring Break)
Wednesday, 04/20 – Purple Up Day! (Month of the Military Child)
Changes to Universal Masking for Students Begins March 1 and Additional Health and Safety Updates
Tuesday, March 1, state legislation goes into effect that allows parents/guardians to elect for their children to not wear a mask in schools. As a school division, we continue to be concerned about the health of our Fairfax community and strongly recommend that all students continue to participate in universal masking for the protection of students and staff with health concerns.
As we work through this change, we will honor our value of a caring culture. We will respect each other and show compassion and kindness for those who have different needs and viewpoints. At the center of everything we do is the children we serve. It is their well-being that we must work to protect.
Please review the following information about upcoming changes.
To Elect For Your Child Not to Wear a Mask in School
Starting March 1, parents and guardians may elect for their children not to wear a mask on school property. There will be no formal process required for those who elect for their child not to wear a mask on school property, including during School Age Child Care (SACC). Please talk with your child before March 1 so they will be aware of your family’s preference for mask wearing at school.
Exceptions
Universal mask wearing continues to apply in the following scenarios::
- On school buses/vans (federal requirement)
- During off-campus activities where masks are required by the venue (ex: field trips)
- Students enrolled in Head Start Program (federal requirement)
- When attending school on days 6-10 of a quarantine (families who do not want their student to wear a mask on these days will need to complete the full 10 day quarantine at home.)
- When participating in Test to Stay
Respecting Student Choice and Need
Teachers and school staff will not treat students differently based on their choice. This includes seating arrangements in classrooms, cafeterias, or other gathering spaces. Please refer to the FCPS website for guidance around bullying behaviors as referenced in the SR&R. Families of special needs children who may need additional consideration for health reasons should work with their IEP or 504 teams.
Mask Requirement Continues for Adults
All adults, including staff, visitors and volunteers must continue to wear a mask on school property. We will continue to follow our roll back plan, shared earlier this month, which will be implemented when we reach moderate transmission, and remain there for seven days. This week, we saw our community transmission level drop into the substantial category and we anticipate we could be at or very close to moderate community transmission as early as next week. FCPS will formally announce when we are ready to make this transition.
 FCPS will implement our roll back strategy when the Fairfax County community reaches moderate transmission and remains there for seven consecutive days.
Contact Tracing
FCPS will support contact tracing in limited circumstances when identified by local health officials. Families will be notified if a positive case (student or staff) is reported in their child’s class.
Quarantine and Isolation
Schools will not direct students to pause or quarantine unless identified as a close contact during a school-based outbreak. Students will continue to complete a 10-day isolation period following a positive COVID diagnosis. Families are asked to follow CDC and Health Department guidance for quarantine and isolation.
Test to Stay
Test to Stay allows students to remain in school as long as they test negative for the first five days following a close contact exposure. Currently, test to stay is, and will remain, available at seven pilot schools for all cases.
Beginning March 14, Test to Stay will also be available at every school in the event of an outbreak.
- Families will be given information and will decide if they want to participate.
- Testing occurs at home through a home self-test (BinaxNOW home test kits).
- Students must wear a mask to school during the Test to Stay timeline in order to participate.
These changes are evidence that we are entering a new phase of the pandemic. We want all families to be confident that their children are learning in a safe, supportive environment. Our steps forward will be measured and guided by expert recommendations and local health data.
Up-to-date health and safety information can be found in the Health and Safety Guidance Document. We expect updated CDC guidance soon, possibly this afternoon. We will confer with our health experts about how any new guidance impacts our health and safety plans. Changes and updates will be communicated with you via email, newsletters, and our website.
Thank you for working with us to keep our students learning in-person, and continuing on their paths to success.
Reminder: Two-Hour Early Release on March 3, Student Holiday on March 4
As a reminder, students will be released two hours early on Thursday, March 3, and Friday, March 4, is a staff development day and a student holiday.
Classes will resume on Monday, March 7. See the complete 2021-22 school year calendar.
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Public Schools Week February 21-25
Public Schools Week is an annual celebration that brings together school leaders, educators, parents & community leaders to recognize the importance of our nation’s public schools.
West Springfield High School welcomes every child, regardless of ability, race, religion, wealth, language, country of origin or needs. Our diversity is our strength. We are #PublicSchoolProud for Public Schools Week 2022!
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Students (and parents), please refrain from parking your cars in the parking lots of the businesses adjacent to the school. As well, we ask students to not park in the neighborhoods surrounding the school. These parking venues are reserved for clients, customers and/or residents. Students parking in these locations open themselves up to their cars being towed. West Springfield HS will not be responsible for any mishaps or towing incidents that result from unauthorized parking. Thanks for being a good neighbor.
Student Services Announcement
Opportunity to Apply for Student Representative to the School Board
Each year, in accordance with FCPS Policy 1802, FCPS students have the opportunity to apply for the position of the student representative to the School Board. The student representative is not a member of the School Board but serves in a non-voting, advisory capacity, representing the interests of the students of Fairfax County Public Schools.
Students who are currently in grades 9, 10, and 11 are eligible to apply, and they do not need to be current members of the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council (SAC). Applications are due March 23, 2022. The application and related details can be found at Student Representative to the School Board.
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Support the PTSA by becoming a member or volunteering. Find out more and join the PTSA here. SAVE THE DATE: Our next PTSA membership meeting is scheduled for March 15, 7:30 - 8:30pm, via Zoom. The PTSA will ask for volunteers to form a nominating committee. The nominating committee will be charged with helping to nominate new officers for the PTSA elections that will be held in June.
Student Activities News and Updates
Check out what's happending across the entire school!
WSHS Black History Month Assembly
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Students Celebrate Black History Month
In honor of Black History Month, West Springfield's Black Student Union produced a special Black History Month Assembly. The performance was livestreamed during LS4 on Thursday February 24th for the entire student body. You can view it HERE.
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USO Hosts WSHS Military-Connected Students
April is celebrated as the Month of the Military Child, where across the Nation we recognize the unique sacrifices of military kids. This past weekend, Fort Belvoir's USO got a jump on this celebration by hosting WSHS Military Ambassador's Club and other military-connected students and families to a free movie at Regal Cinema at the Springfield Town Center. USO bought out an entire theater where participants watched the newly released movie Uncharted, with free popcorn and drink!
West Springfield HS parent Meljun Kruk (picture below, front right) serves the USO as Field Programs Specialist for the National Capital District, based at the USO Warrior and Family Center Fort Belvoir. Meljun is primarily responsible for this special treat to our students and their families. A HUGE THANKS to Meljun for coordinating the event and to the USO for honoring our military-connected students ahead of April's Month of the Military Child.
SPARTAN PERFORMING ARTS
WSHS Band Events
- Band Concert - Irving MS Bands and WSHS Jazz Band – Mar 2
- District Concert Band Assessment – Mar 3-4
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Upcoming Orchestra Events and Concerts
- Orchestra Pre-assessment Concert – Mar 8 at 7pm (at WSHS)
- Orchestra VBODA Assessment – Mar 24 (Symphonic and Chamber Orchestras) at Centerville HS (Chamber, 7:25pm performance)
- Orchestra VBODA Assessment – Mar 26 (Philharmonic) at Centerville HS (10:30am)
Check out the Spartan Orchestras Boosters website for updated performance times.
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Spartan Choir Calendar
- Choir Pre-Assessment Concert – Mar 10, 7-8:30pm @WSHS
- Choir Assessment – Mar 18-19, @Woodson HS
Check out the Spartan Choir calendar for specific times and updates on events and performances.
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Important Dates for the Class of 2022
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- Prom – May 6, 2022
- Graduation – May 31, 2022
- All Night Grad Party – June 1, 2022
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All Night Grad Party Announcements
All Night Grad Party
Date: June 1, 2022
Time: 11pm - 5am
Location: @ The St. James
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Learn the Playbook Online Boot Camp
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SAT | Sat, 2/26 & Sun, 2/27 12pm - 4pm, or Sat, 3/5 & Sun, 3/6 12pm-4pm
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ACT | Sat, 3/26 & Sun, 3/27 12pm - 4pm
Enter code WSHS50 for a $50 tuition discount.
https://learntheplaybook.com/sat-prep/
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Buy Your Yearbook, LIKE NOW!
Yearbooks are on sale! Order online at www.yearbookordercenter.com. WSHS Order Number is 4150.
FCPS Information
Provide Feedback on FCPS' Use of Federal (ESSER III) Funding
We encourage you to participate in a public engagement opportunity related to how FCPS is meeting ESSER III requirements for ensuring a safe return to in-person instruction and providing continuity of learning. As a reminder, last fall, FCPS received $188.8 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) funding to address the impacts of COVID-19 on students. Grant focus areas include:
- Prevention and mitigation strategies to help keep schools open and safe for students and staff.
- Academic intervention services, such as tutoring, after-school programs, and summer learning programs.
- Equity professional development to ensure our schools are welcoming and culturally responsive to all students and families.
- Multilingual engagement to ensure information is accessible to all families.
- Additional support for students’ social-emotional needs.
All of these areas impact student success! Please provide input today via our online feedback form. For more information on the ESSER III grant, please watch this video and visit the FCPS website.
2021-22 Winter Schoology Family Feedback
Families, thank you for using Schoology during the first year of our division-wide implementation. FCPS is requesting that you complete an anonymous survey, by which you will help us make improvements for students, teachers, and of course, other families.This survey should take 5-10 minutes to complete.
Please click on the link to complete the survey. 2021-22 Winter Schoology Family Feedback. The window for this survey is 2/16/22-3/2/22.
Quick Links
Community Information
Webinar: Parenting Skills for Arabic Families 4-part Series *Presented in Arabic
Thursdays in March 2022, 6:30 - 8pm
The webinar series addresses the challenges faced by Arab parents when raising their children in the United States of America and the cultural differences between generations.
Topics include:
- Cultural, psychological, emotional, and personal differences
- Parenting strategies based on empathy and understanding
Join Sarah Amri, psychologist and Program Supervisor at Northern Virginia Family Service and Hunada Zeinedin, counselor at Northern Virginia Family Service
- 3/03/2022 Bridging Cultural and Generational Differences
- 3/10/2022 Effective Ways to Communicate
- 3/17/2022 Discipline Strategies
- 3/24/2022 Effective Parenting Styles
Register for Webinar: Parenting Skills for Arabic Families 4-part Series *Presented in Arabic
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Vaccine Equity Clinics Next Week
For those in need of COVID-19 vaccination, below are Vaccine Equity and School Clinics for the coming week, February 27 - March 5. These are pop-up clinics that do not require prior registration or appointments. If you have vaccine questions or need help scheduling, contact the Fairfax County Call Center at 703-324-7404.
MILTAX: TAX SERVICES FOR THE MILITARY
MilTax is a free tax service for active duty military, National Guardsmen and Reservist, through Military OneSource. MilTax includes tax prep and e-filing software and personalized support that address the realities of military life – deployments, combat and training pay, housing and rentals, multistate filings, living OCONUS and more.
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More Tax Prep Help
Free tax preparation help is available for families through Volunteer Income
Tax Assistance or 703-533-5702 (please leave a message) and AARP TaxAide by virtual or in-person appointment only. The deadline for filing taxes this year is April 18, 2022.
Free Home COVID-19 Tests Available
Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order four free at-home COVID-19 tests, completely free. Visit covidtests.gov to order your free at-home tests and find free testing locations in your area.
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