Westlawn Family Message
May 30, 2022
Keeping Families Connected!
Hello Westlawn Families,
With two more weeks left in the 21-22 school year we must take some time to celebrate some of the wonderful accomplishments from this year. On Tuesday we will come together to enjoy our band and strings students for an evening concert to begin at 6:00PM.
We will celebrate our Pre-schoolers on Friday, their final day of school, with our first live promotion ceremony in two years!! And of course our culminating event, the promotion of our 6th graders to Luther Jackson Middle School, to take place Thursday, June 9, 6:30PM in the Falls Church High School auditorium.
Let's enjoy these final two weeks!
For daily snapshots into the Westlawn Community we encourage families to follow us on Twitter.
As we continue on through these challenging times, families seeking resources and assistance are encouraged to visit the Fairfax County Coordinated Services webpage.
Upcoming Dates:
- May 31 – Band/Strings concert – 6:00pm
- June 2- Patrol Picnic @ Mason Crest Park
- June 2 - Westlawn's Got Talent at 6PM (virtual event)
- June 6 and 8 - Field Day (primary and upper)
- June 9 - 6th Grade Promotion Ceremony at FCHS
- June 10 - Last Day of School (2 hour early release)
Next week we take another step on the road to recovery.
Together, we are strong. Together, we transcend. Together, we soar.
We are Westlawn.
In Proud Partnership,
Christoph Hill, Anaya Bryson and Stephanie Carpenter, Westlawn Principals
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Home Laptops
Please return your child's home laptop to the front office. Please bring both the laptop and the power cord. Laptops will be updated over the summer and re-issued in the Fall.
Westlawn's Got Talent!
Tune in Thursday, June 2 at 6:00PM for this year's edition of Westlawn's Got Talent! Our Music Team looks forward to celebrating the many talents of our Westlawn students. Click this link to access the virtual event.
Waterford Summer Learning For Rising Kindergarteners
Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow is encouraging parents of children entering kindergarten this fall to take advantage of a free online summer learning program provided by Waterford.org, a Utah-based nonprofit specializing in early learning.
The program provides 20-25 minutes of daily age-appropriate reading, mathematics and science instruction and includes all necessary software and technology — including home internet access, if needed — at no cost to participating families.
Balow encourages parents of rising kindergartners to register as soon as possible as online instruction begins June 6. Parents may register online or by phone at (888) 982-9898.
Waterford.org is making its Upstart Summer Learning Path program available to Virginia families at no cost through a partnership with the Overdeck Family Foundation.
In addition to technology and software, participating families will receive weekly support from a literacy and school readiness coach, with coaching services available in more than 20 languages.
Waterford.org will also provide software licenses to all children in participating homes, including early learners not participating directly but in need of instructional support in reading, math and science.
As an added bonus, families of rising kindergartners who successfully complete the Upstart Summer Learning Program may keep their laptops.
6th Grade Promotion Ceremony Updates
We are excited to honor our 6th grade Westlawn students at our June 9 Promotion Ceremony at Falls Church High School!
Due to the increase in COVID-19 cases, we are putting some additional measures in place to keep our community safe.
Here is our plan:
-Students will sit every other seat during the ceremony.
-Masks are strongly encouraged for all.
-We ask you to limit the number of family members who attend the ceremony.
-We ask for families to socially distance from other families when choosing a seat in the auditorium.
Thank you for your support. We care about our Westlawn community and want to make sure we enjoy this special occasion as safely as possible. 😊
 Elementary Institute for the Arts
FCPS is offering its Elementary Institute for the Arts at Lake Braddock High School for students currently in 2nd-5th grade. Students may register for as many weeks as they like! Bus transportation from select high schools is available.
Week 1: July 5-8th
Week 2: July 11-15th
Week 3: July 18th-22nd
Week 4: July 25th-29th
Each day goes from 8:30am-2:00pm
Students who qualify for Free and Reduced meals receive free tuition and may join for as many weeks as they like.
You can sign up here:
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/summer-learning-programs/camps-and-institutes-elementary-institute-arts-e-ifta
From the Desk of Ms. Heyer and Ms. Vu
Library Books are due soon! The last day for student checkout is Friday, May 20th. All library books are due by Friday, May 27th. Please contact Mrs. Vu, tnquachvu@fcps.edu, or Mrs. Heyer, pdheyer@fcps.edu, with any questions.
Community Conversation - Thursday, May 12
Join us for our weekly Community Conversation with Principals on Thursday, May 12 @ 10:15AM. Access our virtual session here.
Here are the slides and recording from last week's CCWP.
Sign-ups for Band and Strings Starts Now!
Please watch the google slide presentation (ONLY available to view through students’ fcpsschools.net accounts) to help you make your decision about instruments in the Fall! If you know what you want to sign up for already, click the Google Form directly! (Should be available through any account).
Google slides presentation - English (only from fcpsschools.net accounts) - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1m-2hMcfSf3YQumbwQbLA7v2a4-9ATQni16GViXrq0Ww/edit?usp=sharing
Google slides presentation – Spanish (only from fcpsschools.net accounts) - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1C9Og5DAnL9At2OXF7i9_ZTD9VyAeRoWsQWRYBsNdjkQ/edit?usp=sharing
Google form – English - https://forms.gle/Rr3fQfxg474hh9JJA
Google form – Spanish - https://forms.gle/LjvrfHBcnkckwcsw9
Any questions? Please contact Mr. Erickson for band – pgerickson@fcps.edu or Ms. Emery for strings – aremery@fcps.edu. We hope to see you in band or strings in the Fall!!!
Updated COVID-19 Isolation Procedures
Beginning May 1, 2022, your child may return to in-person instruction and activities, including athletics, when your child has met the following criteria:
- Student has completed at least five days of isolation; AND
- Student is fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication; AND
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Student’s symptoms have improved or resolved
- Student wears a well-fitting mask for 5 additional days (day six through day 10) after the end of the 5-day isolation period, in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance
If students are unable to wear a mask when around others, they are to continue to isolate for a full 10 days at home.
Children who are in isolation will continue to have access to our StreamIn/CheckIn during this time.
The new procedure aligns with the timeline recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD). It also follows improving vaccination rates in the Fairfax Health District, as well as a continued community level of low in Fairfax County.
Spring Music Shirts are Here!
The music shirts are back and we have many new spring colors for sale! All shirts are $10 + shipping. Everything is sold ONLINE ONLY and will be delivered directly to your house. We will also be sending home a flyer with a QR Code you can scan with your phone to get to the website. Use the link below to order!
https://www.customink.com/g/rrp0-00ck-7mhp
Blue Music Ensemble Shirts (Band Chorus & Strings students ONLY)
For Band, Chorus, & Strings students ONLY: you will need a Royal Blue shirt for your concerts. Again, these are sold ONLINE ONLY. These shirts are $6 and will be delivered to the school for Band Chorus & Strings students only. Use the site below.
https://www.customink.com/g/rrp0-00cj-vz5r
How to Survive Middle School
For rising 7th Graders who will attend Luther Jackson MS. This program will run the week of July 25-28. This year, students can choose one of two sessions:
Session 1: July 25 and 26
Session 2: July 27 and 28
The in-person portion of the program will run from 3:30pm-7:00pm and include transportation to the school, dinner, and an LJMS T-shirt. (Students need to be picked up by a parent after the program ends each evening). Access the registration form here.
Kindergarten Registration
If you have a child five years of age on or before September 30, 2022, they are eligible for Kindergarten in the 2022-2023 school year. Please contact Silvia Caballero, Student Registrar, via email at scaballero@fcps.edu, or by phone at 703-241-5100, with any questions. You can also find information about the registration process on our school website.
Falls Church Kindergarten Orientation_2022.pdf
Pre-K and Early Head Start Programs
FCPS offers high-quality Pre-Kindergarten and Early Head Start Programs to income eligible families at no cost, including children with disabilities. View the attached flyer for more information.
2022-2023 PreK and Early Head Start - English and Spanish Translations
Laptop Activity Reports
Parents can get information about their child's activity on their FCPS laptop. Sign up to receive a weekly Parent Report from Lightspeed, our internet content filtering service, which will provide a list of the top sites the child visited that week. Learn more about the Lightspeed Parent Report and sign up process.
Request Lightspeed Parent Reports
Temporary Expanded Child Care Eligibility
The Child Care Assistance and Referral Program may be able to help with your child care expenses. Read the attached flyer and see if this initiative could benefit your family.
Temporary Expanded Child Care Eligibility Flyer
Positivity Project
Westlawn has partnered with the Positivity Project to empower America’s youth to build positive relationships and become their best selves.
The Mission: To equip educators with the resources, training, and strategy to teach their students positive psychology’s 24 character strengths.
Cornerstones Eviction Prevention Unit
Anyone currently residing in Fairfax County who is behind their rent should contact Coordinated Service Planning (CSP) at 703-222-0880. CSP will complete an assessment with the tenant and determine their eligibility for rental assistance. If they are determined to be eligible to receive assistance the tenant will be referred to one of the Community Based Organizations (CBO) in Fairfax County who are distributing these funds and payment will be sent directly to the landlord.
CSP Community outreach English Spanish Large RC print 4UP 12x18 (1).pdf
COVID-19 Testing Sites
If you are in need of a COVID-19 test please see the attached PDF for information and site locations.
covid19_testing_fairfax.pdf
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 Computer and Technology Support
Our Technology Team has created a step-by-step resource to support parents in Schoology, Zoom, and other student learning applications. Access this website here.
Income Discrimination in Housing
The Housing Rights Initiative is a national non-profit organization dedicated to protecting tenants’ rights. See that attached flyer to learn more.
Know Your Rights (Virginia).pdf
Forms, Documents, and Apps
Students' Rights and Responsibilities
Here Comes the Bus - Information on bus schedules, routes, and live notifications
Opt-Out Forms
Join the Westlawn PTA
Follow Us On Twitter!
https://twitter.com/WestlawnES
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