Westgate Weekly News


Good Afternoon Westgate Families,

I hope this finds you well and having a great start to the week.  I wanted to give a huge "shout out" to our amazing PTA for all the wonderful things and treats they provided our staff last week.  Additionally, thank you to all the families who took the time to honor our teachers for all that they do every day for our students!

Join us tomorrow, May 10, at 6:30 p.m. for our last general PTA meeting of the year.  Mrs. Manos, our Assistant Principal, will be speaking about the assessments given in FCPS and what you can expect during the time your student is with us at Westgate.  See info below for the Zoom login to this event.

Lastly, SOL testing is underway for students in 3rd-6th grade and will last most of May.  Please make sure your student is getting a good night's sleep and eating a healthy breakfast on the day of their test.  Also, please make sure out-of-school appointments do not conflict with your student's test schedule.  Thank you for your help in making this testing window go as smoothly as possible.

As always, thank you for your support of all things Westgate and have a wonderful rest of your week and weekend ahead!

All my best,

Hallie Demetriades


 

PTA Meeting Tomorrow, May 10 @ 6:30 p.m.

Our final, virtual PTA meeting for this academic year will be this Tuesday, May 10, at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom here! We will be electing the PTA board for the 2022-2023 school year and Assistant Principal Summer Manos will join us to talk about the assessment process and answer questions.

What are assessments? Assessments are part of the teaching and learning process in Fairfax County Public Schools and at Westgate. Our teachers give assessments to students on an ongoing basis to check for understanding and gather information about students' knowledge and skills. The state and school division also expect students to participate in certain tests to help with monitoring school and student performance and to provide information about additional services that may benefit the student. Please plan to attend this session with any testing questions or for additional information about how our school and teachers use test results to support student success.


Standards of Learning (SOL's) Assessments 

Students in grades 3-6 in our school will be taking the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) this Spring. 

Federal law requires schools to give tests in reading, mathematics, and science. SOL tests measure the extent to which students have learned the content and skills detailed in state standards. These tests provide information about student achievement to the parent, school, division, and state. Scores will be available to families prior to next school year. Westgate will be administering the required SOL tests on the following dates:

Grade

Subject Tested

Date

6

Reading

May 10

 

Math

May 20

5

Reading

May 6

 

Math

May 19

 

Science

May 13

4

Reading

May 11

 

Math

May 18

3

Reading

May 12

 

Math

May 17

Please contact your child's teacher or school test coordinator, Summer Manos (ssmanos@fcps.edu), with any questions or concerns.


School Supplies Ordering for Next Year! 

Online school supply ordering for next year is now open!  With a few clicks of the button you can have your child's school supplies delivered to their classroom at Westgate next school year. The website is www.educationalproducts.com with the school code being WES461. We confirm all the products with the school and the packages have what the teachers want. This is not a fundraiser, the PTA organizes this as a convenience for parents. Don't wait, order today!

Any questions, email Karen Growney at supplies@westgatewolvespta.com


Kindergarten Registration

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 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 main office at 703-610-5700 or tmgreen@fcps.edu if you have additional questions.


Longfellow MS - Rising 7th Grade Open House

Longfellow is excited welcome our newest Lancers to our Rising 7th Grade Open House on May 19 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm!

Visitors will be able to walk the halls of Longfellow and see how our classrooms are set up, check out the cafeteria, hear from some of our student organizations and more! Longfellow administrators and counselors will be on hand to answer questions. There will not be a large-group presentation; this is an ‘Open House’ style event in which students may come with their family at any time during the evening.

If you have any questions, please contact Katie Madigan, Director of Student Services, at kemadigan@fcps.edu


Online Tutoring Services have Launched!

We are pleased to announce that students now have unlimited access to online tutoring support services through Tutor.com at no cost to families. Tutor.com is available 24/7, through online voice or text chat, and in your student’s preferred language. Student participation is optional and parents/guardians can opt their students out of accessing the service. You can learn more about Tutor.com on the Tutor.com Online Tutoring Services website.

Students will be able to access Tutor.com via a link in Schoology.  Additional information about how to log in and access a tutor is provided to families via the following instructional videos: 

elementary video and secondary video. Questions not answered in the posted resources may be sent to onlinetutoring@fcps.edu.

This new service will help many [SCHOOL] students complete assignments, better understand classroom lessons, and be successful. 


Sub

FCPS is Hiring Substitute Teachers

FCPS is looking for kind and caring substitute teachers to ensure our students continue to thrive when teachers need to be out of the building. Substitute teaching is a great opportunity for stay-at-home parents, retirees, college students, and anyone who wants a flexible work schedule. Subs save the day- apply today!

https://www.fcps.edu/careers/career-opportunities/substitute-teaching-opportunities 


Join the PTA Today!

Our PTA is amazing and we would love for you to join and be a part of this great community of Westgate families.  Signing up is easy and help us reach our goal and sign up today!  You can sign up here


amazon

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!