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To read this newsletter in other languages, please visit our website.
Para leer este boletín en otros idiomas, visite nuestro sitio web.
Để đọc bản tin này bằng ngôn ngữ khác, xin quý vị truy cập vào trang mạng của chúng tôi.
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A Message From Your Principals
Westlawn Community:
.We had a wonderful welcome to March at Westlawn! Our students engaged with a variety of texts and celebrated the joys of reading all week long. Spirit days brought excitement and energy into the building. We ended the week with a school-wide assembly sponsored by our PTA, “Beat Ya Feet”. Kevin “Noodlez” Davis taught us about the history of go-go dancing. Our kindergarten dance party with Noodlez after the assembly was a highlight of the week!
While our students had an extra day and a half with family and friends, we were busy at school. On Thursday afternoon, we brought the staff together for a rich discussion around the FCPS Strategic Plan goals and pillars proposed by the Core Planning Team. On Friday, we strengthened our relationships across the building with a school-wide Wellness Day sponsored by our counselors, social worker and school psychologist. Thanks to our amazing Wellness Team we are refreshed and ready for the week ahead!
We look forward to seeing you all back in the morning,
At Westlawn, we soar together.
Individually Unique … Together Extraordinary
We are Westlawn.
Your Proud Principals,
Cindi Choate, Christoph Hill, Anaya Bryson, and Stephanie Carpenter
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Congratulations, Ms. Ferster!
Westlawn's amazing social worker, Savannah Ferster, was honored on Friday for the incredible impact she has had on our school community. She was presented with the award with her social work intern, Carey Hitchcock. We celebrate you, Ms. Ferster and Ms. Hitchcock!
March 5-10 is National School Social Work Week. Social workers in FCPS help to prevent social, emotional, and behavioral factors from affecting a student's ability to perform at their best. Their primary goal is to remove barriers that prevent a student from fulfilling their academic potential. Social workers are assigned to every school and center in the school system. Learn more about the role of social workers in FCPS.
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Upcoming Dates:
March 15: FCHS Pyramid Art Show (6:00 PM)
March 24: 6th Grade All County Choral Festival Rehearsal #3
March 25: 6th Grade All County Choral Festival (3:00 PM)
March 30 : Westlawn Spring Choral Concert (6:30 PM; Westlawn Gym)
April 3-7: Spring Break (no school for students)
April 12: Kindergarten Orientation (9:30-10:30 AM)
April 13: Early Release Day for Students (dismissal at 1:30 PM)
April 13: Westlawn's Got Talent - 5:30-7:30pm
April 20: Family Adventure Night - 5-6:30pm* NEW DATE!
April 21: Student Holiday (Professional Workday)
April 28: Westlawn Art Night (6:00 - 7:30 PM)
May 13: TJHSST Techstravaganza (10:00 AM)
May 13: FSO Concert (3rd/4th grades)
May 29: Student Holiday (Memorial Day)
June 5: Westlawn Spring Band/Strings Concert (6:30 PM)
June 16: Last Day of School for Students
FCPS Early Childhood and PreK Programs
Fairfax County Public Schools offers programs for the youngest learners:
Community liaisons are available to assist families with the registration process and answer any questions. For more information, visit the Early Childhood Registration webpage.
Do you know a Rising Kindergartener?
Westlawn will be hosting Kindergarten Orientation for all rising K students on Wednesday, April 12 from 9:30-10:30am in our school cafeteria. Spread the word!
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Every year, March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. The month is set aside to honor women’s contributions in American history.
Read more about Women’s History Month in National Geographic Kids.
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Spotlight on Trauma & Coping
It is February and a time when the recognition and promotion of the resilience and contributions of African Americans is celebrated. Historical trauma is critical to understanding black mental health. African Americans have always thrived through the connection of family. There is an intersection between trauma, coping, and substance misuse. Studies show that about 61% of adults have had at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE) according to the CDC. Childhood trauma manifests in many ways and when carried into adulthood, it can create a cycle of adverse experiences that affect future generations.
Trauma prevention and intervention strategies are more important than ever in post-COVID. During the height of the pandemic there were heightened feelings of unsafety, struggles with increased time spent in stressful family environments. Earlier ACEs studies highlighted traumatic events in the household as primary factors leading to future substance abuse, misuse, and lack of feeling safe and secure. Current ACEs studies have expanded the categories of traumatic events to include experiences such as exposure to racism, discrimination, and historical trauma. Effective coping skills or a brilliant strategy increases levels of resilience and feelings of wellbeing.
Coping strategies include:
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Developing healthy relationships (internal and external support)
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Teaching self-regulation skills
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Encouragement
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Increasing self-esteem
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Promoting independence and strength
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Modeling healthy behavior when dealing with difficult situations
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Early intervention and mental health care
Resources:
Why Historical Trauma is Critical to Understanding Black Mental Health
Addressing Childhood Trauma Starts with Family Support
Violence Prevention
ACEs and Minorities
For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness at: (571) 423-4270.
Community Conversations with Principals
Each week Westlawn Principals host a Community Conversation, designed to connect with families and provide salient information. Our Community Conversations are held each Wednesday at 10:00 am using this link.
Slide decks from each Community Conversation can be accessed on the Get Involved! section of our school webpage.
Family Event Participation
Family partnerships are a cornerstone at Westlawn. It is our goal to involve all our families in events, communications, and other school-related functions. To gauge the number of families attending family events we ask you to complete this brief Google Form to identify events your family attended. Thank you for your consideration.
Portrait of a Graduate at Westlawn
Children at Westlawn engage daily in Portrait of a Graduate skills: Communication, Collaboration, Goal-Setting, Resilience, Critical and Creative Thinking, and Global Citizenship. Check out our First Friday Photos to see these skills in action!
Virtual Learning Resources at Westlawn
In the event that weather events lead to virtual learning we have created a page on our website to support families. Check it out here.
FCPS Cares
The FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize Westlawn staff for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story, so we can all acknowledge the good work of FCPS employees.
Family Resources
FCPS’ Office of Family and School Partnerships would like to remind families of some of the many resources available to them:
- Bilingual community liaisons support student registrars by providing families with information about school and community services offered in Fairfax County. Liaisons are available to help families speaking Spanish, Korean, and Arabic. Once registered at a school, families can contact their family liaison for assistance.
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Early literacy programs are available to Fairfax County residents for parents of children up to 5 years old. These programs help prepare children for school and build confidence in parents as their child’s first teacher. They also help parents become active partners in their child’s education. Programs are available in African-Heritage, Arabic, Spanish, and Korean.
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Parent Information Phone Lines are available in eight languages for parents who speak languages other than English.
- A Multilingual Family Podcast is produced by the offices of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Family and School Partnerships, and Professional Learning and Equity. It covers important information for parents in English, Spanish, Arabic, and Korean.
- ESOL services are available in Fairfax County not only for students, but also for adults and families. Information on Spring classes will be posted in March 2023.
Visit the Family Engagement webpage for more resources.
Techstravaganza at TJHSST
We will be holding the 19th annual Techstravaganza on May 13, 2023 from 10 AM to 4 PM at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, VA, and we would like to invite your school’s students to attend Techstravaganza.
Admission is free, food will be for sale. Register for the event here.
 
Sub and Save the Day! Bonus Opportunities!
FCPS is always looking for kind and caring substitute teachers and substitute instructional assistants to ensure our students continue to thrive when teachers and instructional assistants need to be out of the classroom. Substitute teaching is a great opportunity for future teachers, stay-at-home parents, retirees, college students, part-time employees, and anyone who wants to make a difference.
FCPS has started offering bonuses for substitutes who are available to teach on high volume days. Additionally, substitutes who work more, will earn extra bonuses when they reach 50, 100, or 150 days worked in a school year.
Substitute Teacher and Substitute Instructional Assistant information sessions are held virtually on Wednesdays from 1 to 2 p.m. Candidates will receive an email link to the virtual information session the Monday before the session. Sign up for an information session.
Parent Advocacy Handbook
The Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC) has created a Parent Advocacy Handbook to provide information and support to families as they navigate the FCPS system for their children. It is designed to be particularly useful for families who may be less familiar with such a large school division and/or with schooling in the U.S.
Contact Hilda Reyes, Westlawn Family Liaison, with additional questions.
Westlawn on Social Media
Westlawn is active on social media, we encourage families to access our Facebook and Twitter accounts for a glimpse into daily school life.
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