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Good Afternoon Westgate Families,
I hope this finds you having had a wonderful long weekend with family and friends. It has been great to see so many parents and guardians making parent/teacher conferences a priority these past few weeks. We hope that you have gained valuable insight on your child's learning and development so far this school year.
November is a very busy month at Westgate with many opportunities to connect with staff, students, and other families. As a reminder, we will host the fall book fair the week of November 13, a PTA meeting on November 14, the Science Wizard Assembly on November 15, and our Westgate Curriculum Night for families on November 30. We hope to see many of you at these exciting and meaningful activities!
Also, please see below on how you can support Westgate families in need this holiday season, as well as, detailed information on all our important upcoming events and deadlines.
As always, thank you for your support of all things Westgate, and have a fantastic rest of your week ahead!
All my best,
Hallie Demetriades
Principal
Westgate Curriculum Night - RSVP by Nov. 15
Join us for Curriculum Night on November 30 from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Come visit classrooms to learn more about literacy, mathematics, art, music, Zones of Regulation, Portrait of a Graduate, ESOL services, and much more! Our Westgate teachers will be here to guide you through learning activities with your student. In order to best prepare for this evening, we kindly ask that you RSVP for Curriculum Night by Wednesday, November 15 so we can get a general headcount of students attending. We hope to see many of our amazing Westgate students and families at this fun event!
Window for Full-time AAP Referrals Closes on December 15, 2023
Parents/guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for full-time advanced academic programs may submit the AAP Full-Time (Level IV) Referral Form to Meg Sutton, AART, at mrsutton@fcps.edu no later than December 15, 2023.
The window for families to submit a referral for full-time AAP services is the first day of school through December 15, annually. Forms for full-time and part-time referrals are available on the AAP Forms Page. No late referrals for Full-Time AAP services will be accepted.
Submitting a referral form for full-time AAP will initiate a process that begins at the local school and is then completed at the central office level. Our school will put together a portfolio that includes multiple data which are considered holistically. At the central office level, a committee of six trained professionals from various schools and roles will review the portfolio materials to determine eligibility for full-time placement. Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of the portfolio that was submitted after they have been turned in for central selection by emailing Meg Sutton, AART, at mrsutton@fcps.edu
Referrals for subject-specific and part-time AAP are screened at the local school. If you miss this deadline, your student can still be screened for subject-specific AAP or part-time AAP for the remainder of the year and submit a referral for full-time AAP next fall.
For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs website.
Emotional Social Health & Human Growth and Development Lessons - Virtual Coffee Nov. 9
Human Growth and Development Lessons for Grades 4, 5, and 6 will be instructed the week of December 11-15. Parents can access and preview these lessons by logging into their Schoology accounts and selecting Westgate’s All Parents course. If you are having difficulty accessing the lessons on Schoology, please refer to an email from your student’s teacher that will be coming soon.
If you have questions about this instruction, we will be offering an optional virtual coffee on November 9th from 12:30pm-1:30pm at this link: https://meet.google.com/jwa-srcx-rsg
If you prefer to opt your student out of these lessons, please return the correct grade level’s opt out form found here: https://www.fcps.edu/node/31710
Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid
The Impact Aid Program is a federal grant program designed to directly compensate local school districts that have been financially impacted by federal activities. The program's mission is to reimburse local school districts for local revenues lost due to the presence of federally owned and therefore tax-exempt property. Your support in identifying students with federal connections will ensure that FCPS can obtain its fair share of grant funds from this program.
Any surveys not completed in ParentVue by October 31 were sent home the week of November 3. Please be sure to complete and sign the survey and have your child return the original (fax or email copies may not be sent) to their teacher no later than Thursday, November 16th.
For questions regarding the Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid, please call 703-329-7750 or email ImpactAid@fcps.edu or visit https://www.fcps.edu/impact. Additional information about Impact Aid programs and grants is available on the U.S. Department of Education's website at DoED Impact Aid Programs.
Have questions or need a ParentVue account? Contact Tracy Green, WGES Student Information Assistant/Registrar by email: Tmgreen@fcps.edu.
Westgate ES Outstanding Staff Nominations
Dear Westgate Community,
As you may know, every year Fairfax County Public Schools recognizes outstanding employees at all levels. Once again this year, all schools in FCPS are encouraged to nominate an Outstanding Teacher, whose name will then go on to the pyramid level where a Pyramid Outstanding Teacher will be selected. Each of the five Regions will select their Region Outstanding Teacher, who will serve as the finalists for the coveted Fairfax County Public Schools Outstanding Teacher Award.
Schools may also submit nominees for the other school-based award categories:
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Outstanding New Teacher (a teacher within his or her first three years of teaching)
- Outstanding Principal
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Outstanding Leader (Assistant Principal)
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Outstanding Professional Employee (School Counselor, School-Based Technology Specialist, Social Worker, School Psychologist, Technology Support Specialist)
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Outstanding Operational Employee (Office Staff, Instructional Assistant (IA), Custodial Staff, Food Service Staff, Parent Liaison)
We are asking you, the Westgate community, to help us gather names for this process. If you would like to nominate a Westgate staff member for any of the above awards, please fill out this Google Form by Friday, November 10. All responses will be kept confidential.
We are excited that we can recognize so many outstanding employees. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Summer Manos at ssmanos@fcps.edu . We would love to hear from you!
Annual Thanksgiving Drive- November 1-17
It’s time for our community’s annual Thanksgiving Drive! This year, we will be collecting grocery store gift cards to distribute to families in need to allow families flexibility in choosing their Thanksgiving meals.
What we need? Grocery store gift cards (preferably to Aldi and Safeway) in either $20- or $25-dollar increments. If you would like to donate a greater amount, we ask that you purchase multiple gift cards in those increments so we can easily distribute them to our families. Our goal is to raise $1000.
How to donate? Look for our drop box in the main office from November 1st through November 17th. You can drop off the gift card yourself, hand it to any staff member at school pick-up or drop-off or send it in with your student to give to his/her teacher.
Family Engagement Month - November 1-30
November is Family Engagement Month and we have recently, and will continue to celebrate many student holidays and traditions this fall into winter. We are inviting you to your child’s classroom to share a tradition, craft, or presentation that highlights your culture or something you hold important as a family. This can be delivered in a myriad of ways. You can come in person, or share a presentation with the classroom teacher for your student to share with the class. The goal is for our students to learn more about one another through the amazing stories and rich history of the families in our school community. Classroom teachers will be reaching out directly on times that may be available to you. Presentations should last no more than about 20-25 minutes and should not include food due to allergy concerns. We hope to have a lot of family participation in this opportunity, and we look forward to seeing many of you in classrooms next month!
Westgate Fall Book Fair November 13 - 17
Questions? Contact Michelle Scherbenske mbscherbenske@fcps.edu
The Fall Book Fair will be here November 13 to November 17! There will be a large selection of books, school supplies, and posters available for purchase. Students will visit the book fair to make wish lists and may make purchases during the week.
Shopping and eWallet Information
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Purchases: If you’d like to make a purchase, you may send cash or check (to Westgate Elementary) or set up eWallet for your child. Please send money in an envelope marked “book fair”.
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eWallet: Give students a secure, cash-free way to shop by setting up an eWallet account. There is no charge to set up eWallet. Simply create an account and authorize a spending limit on your credit card.
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Family Night: You are also invited to shop during our Book Fair Family Night on Wednesday, November 15. The fair will stay open after school until 7:00pm. This is a great time to see the books in person. You may also make online purchases which will be delivered to your home.
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Support Teachers: Contribute to classroom libraries two ways.
- Add funds to your teacher’s ewallet account:
- Visit the fair and purchase a book from your teacher’s wishlist.
Visit the Book Fair Homepage for more information, to set up eWallet and to shop online. https://www.scholastic.com/bfwestgateelementaryschool4
Volunteers
Volunteers are needed to make this event a success! Parent volunteers help with everything from helping student shoppers to working the cash register to packing up the fair. Please consider signing up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050E4CA5A72BAA8-45384763-fall
Domino's Pizza Fundraiser - November 14
Give yourself a break from making dinner and order some pizza to support the PTA! On Tuesday, November 14th, order Dominos for dinner (use code DN3 when ordering) from the McLean, Tysons or West Falls Church location. Westgate PTA will receive 20% of these sales.
Second General PTA Meeting - November 14
Join us at 6:30pm in the Cafeteria on November 14 for the second general PTA meeting (in person ONLY). Following the meeting, you will get a tour of our amazing school! When is the last time you have been in the school building? Join us for a tour of the building and see the learning and growth on display. (Childcare is available during this meeting.)
We will also have a collection box available if you would like to drop off a donation to our Thanksgiving Grocery Store Gift card Drive.
Science Wizard Event- November 15
Come at 6pm on November 15th in the Gym to experience a free show by the Science Wizard, who has been seen on America's Got Talent. Show should last less than an hour and is an amazing opportunity to experience amazing science with your student.
Community Review of Elementary ELA Basal Instructional Resources
A community review of the VDOE-approved Cycle II core instructional materials is scheduled for November 15, 2023, until noon on December 15, 2023. As part of the public review process, an open house has been scheduled during this period to allow community members to ask questions to members of the Elementary Language Arts team.
Digital materials for public review and comment will be available on the Elementary Language Arts Basal Resource Review website.
Hard copies of instructional materials will be available for review at:
Pimmit Hills Center, Room 207 7510 Lisle Avenue Falls Church, VA 22043
Materials may be reviewed at Pimmit Hills Center Monday - Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Visitors should enter through door #4 and check in at the main office or with the building coordinator on duty.
An open house with representatives from the Elementary Language Arts team will be held on Friday, December 1, 2023, from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 2, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
All community feedback will be shared with the review committee and with School Board members before the vote at the School Board regular meeting.
Join the PTA Today!
Our PTA is amazing and we would love you to join and be part of this great community of Westgate families! Signing up is easy and you can help us reach our membership goal by signing up today! You can sign up here.
SIS ParentVue
Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE. Caregivers should receive an activation code when they register their child.
Once you have activated a ParentVUE account for an FCPS student, you will keep the same account until the student graduates. Information about students in the same family can be accessed through the same ParentVUE account. Access SIS ParentVUE by using an app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android devices.
Need help creating a SIS ParentVUE account? This video walks through the steps. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE.
Multilingual Parent Information Line
☎️ Parent Information Phone Line Available in Eight Languages
Parents/caregivers who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese may call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS. View the list of phone numbers.
Spanish: ☎️ Línea Telefónica de Información para Padres Disponible en Ocho IdiomasPadres/cuidadores que hablan Amárico, Árabe, Chino, Farsi, Coreano, Español, Urdu o Vietnamita pueden llamar a una línea telefónica de información para obtener información general sobre FCPS. También pueden obtener apoyo para comunicarse con la escuela de su hijo. Vea la lista de números de teléfono.
Zones of Regulation
This year we are excited to have implemented the program, Zones of Regulation at Westgate school wide. This program teaches students how to name their emotions and build strategies to help manage them. Emotions are categorized by blue, green, yellow, and red and each color represents a state of alertness. The green zone is the calmest and a place where we are ready to learn. You can find out more by clicking this here (English) or here (Spanish).
Free, On-Demand, Online Tutoring
Does your child need homework help or feedback on their writing? How about a practice quiz to get ready for a test? FCPS students who’ve used Tutor.com have provided positive feedback:
- “This tutor was very helpful! She didn't tell me the answers. When needed, she helped me solve them! She was very kind and she really helped me!” –Elementary Math Student
- “This was an awesome tutor! She explained why I needed to do specific steps, and she gave me practice problems! Best tutor I have had!” –IB Chemistry Student
Unless they’ve been opted out, students can access Tutor.com through Schoology. Every session is personalized to meet students’ needs from remedial to advanced levels. Sessions focus on conceptual learning and critical thinking—not quick answers.
Learn more on FCPS’ Tutor.com webpage.
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