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Good Morning Westgate Families,
I hope this finds you having a wonderful week. It is hard to believe that we have already started the third quarter of the school year.
Thank you to our PTA, Ally Gilmore, and all of our families that attended our "Be Internet Awesome" event last week. It was great information on how both students and parents can stay safe online.
As a reminder, our PTA after school enrichment classes started this week. Please make sure your child knows what day they may be participating in an after school class.
As always, thank you for your continued support of all things Westgate and have a fantastic week ahead!
All my best,
Hallie Demetriades
Principal
Westgate's Portrait of a Graduate Spirit Week - January 29 - February 2
Girls on the Run is Back @ Westgate!
Girls on the Run (GOTR) is coming back to Westgate this spring! GOTR has fun, evidence-based programs that inspire girls in 3rd-8th grade to build their confidence, kindness, and decision-making skills. Dynamic lessons instill valuable life skills including the important connection between physical and emotional health. Starting the week of March 4th, the team will meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30 to 5pm. The program culminates in a celebratory 5K at the end of the season! The standard program fee is $185 and includes 20 lessons/practices, a t-shirt, GOTR giveaway, entry into the 5K, a 5K medal, and more. Financial assistance is available for anyone who needs it, with the lowest program registration cost being $22 for the season. Registration for the spring 2024 program is open February 5-27, and the season will run from the week of March 4 through May 19. Please register at www.gotrnova.org.
For more information, go to the Girls on the Run of NOVA website (www.gotrnova.org) or contact the Westgate GOTR team’s head coach, Naveed Khan at 1naveedk@gmail.com.
Registro está abierto ahora para el programa de Girls on the Run a Westgate. Usando un currículo que se integra creativamente actividad física con lecciones de vida, Girls on the Run empodera a las chicas para que desarrollen la confianza y el carácter que necesitan convertirse adultas jóvenes fuertes y saludables. Comienza la semana de March 4th, el equipo encontrará cada martes and jueves de 3:30 to 5pm. Registro para el programa de primavera de 2024 está abierta del 5-27 de febrero, y la temporada se extenderá del 4 de marzo al 19 de mayo. El precio estándar del programa es $185, pero ofrecemos descuentos de militar y hermanas, tanto como asistencia financiera para familias que califiquen también.
Para más información, va al sitio web de Girls on the Run of NOVA (www.gotrnova.org) o contacta la entrenadora del equipo de Girls on the Run, Naveed Khan, a 1naveedk@gmail.com.
Portrait of a Graduate - Ethical and Global Citizens
One of the Portrait of a Graduate attributes we focus on is being an ethical and global citizen. As students grow as ethical and global citizens, they can act responsibly, recognize and appreciate the similarities and differences among people and their cultures, and care for their community and environment.
Ethical and Global Citizens:
- Acknowledge and understand diverse perspectives and cultures
- Help their community
- Consider impact on the environment
- Understand the foundations of our country and value our rights, privileges, and responsibilities
- Act responsibly and ethically
- Communicate effectively in multiple languages
Ideas for Discussing Global and Ethical Citizenship at Home
Pay attention to when you use ethical and global citizenship skills throughout your day. Try to regularly share these examples with your student. Explain how you used specific ethical and global citizenship skills to work through scenarios. Over time, you might share examples of how you used skills well and opportunities for you to grow, too. Sharing your stories will help build understanding of how skills can be used in and beyond school and why these skills are important.
You might ask your student questions such as:
- How were you kind to others?
- What was a choice you made today? What was the impact? What do you want to remember about it?
- When did you notice someone or something that needed help today? What did you do?
- How did you try to understand how a friend was feeling today?
- How were you kind to others?
- What do you want to learn about parts of the world or cultures that you don’t know about yet?
- How can you be a good ethical and global citizen when you are ____ (ex: in the cafeteria; seeing an injustice; outside; noticing someone seems left out)?
- What do you want to remember to be a good ethical and global citizen tomorrow?
Arrival/Dismissal Safety Reminders for Westgate
Please remember to be mindful of our important safety procedures during arrival and dismissal.
- There are NO left hand turns allowed in, or out of, Kiss & Ride during arrival or dismissal.
- There are NO illegal u-turns allowed in front of the school on Magarity Road. Please enter kiss and ride from the correct side (towards rt. 7) and follow the traffic pattern, as we've witnessed both student and staff safety being compromised too often.
- Please ONLY cross your child at the dedicated cross walk (with police officer). Crossing you children at any other location is not safe.
- There is NO parking on either side of Magarity Rd. right in front of the school. Please do not park in these areas.
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Cars are not permitted in the bus loop between 8:20 - 9:00 a.m. and between 3:00 - 3:40 p.m.
Our number one priority at Westgate remains student safety. Thank you for adhering to these very important safety reminders. Please note that the Fairfax County Police Department will be closely monitoring this situation.
🗺️ Dual Language Immersion Program Registration
Registration for the countywide lottery for Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs will open on Monday, January 22. Current pre-K students may apply for the kindergarten immersion program, and current kindergarten students may apply for the first grade immersion programs for the 2024-25 school year. Programs are available in French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.
Parents/caregivers who are interested may want to attend an informational meeting. Meetings are held at the school site. Check the FCPS events calendar for the most current information. Meetings will begin on Tuesday, January 16.
A virtual meeting hosted by the World Languages Office will include general program information. Access to this virtual meeting will be made available on the FCPS events calendar and the Dual Language Immersion registration site on the day of the meeting.
Get more information on the immersion program webpage and registration page.
🗺️ Inscripción para el Programa de Inmersión en Dos Idiomas
La inscripción para la lotería en todo el condado para los programas de Inmersión en Dos Idiomas (DLI) se abrirá el lunes 22 de enero.
Los estudiantes actuales de pre-K pueden aplicar para el programa de inmersión de kindergarten, y los estudiantes actuales de kindergarten pueden aplicar para los programas de inmersión de primer grado para el año escolar 2024-25. Los programas están disponibles en francés, alemán, japonés, coreano y español.
Los padres/cuidadores que estén interesados pueden asistir a una reunión informativa. Las reuniones se llevan a cabo en la escuela. Revise el calendario de eventos de FCPS para información más actualizada. Las reuniones comenzarán el martes, 16 de enero.
Una reunión virtual organizada por la Oficina de Idiomas Mundiales incluirá información general del programa. El acceso a esta reunión virtual estará disponible en el calendario de eventos de FCPS y en el sitio de inscripción de Inmersión en Dos Idiomas el día de la reunión.
Obtenga más información en la página web del programa de inmersión y en la página de inscripción.
Magnet School Application and Lottery Information
The Magnet Program registration window will be open from Tuesday, March 5, through Friday, April 12, 2024. No late applications are accepted.
To learn more about the programs and the registration process, families are encouraged to attend one of the Parent Information Nights:
- Bailey’s Upper, February 6, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. (Virtual only)
- Hunters Woods Elementary, February 12, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. (In-person)
- Snow date: February 26, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.
- Bailey’s Primary, February 13, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. (In-person)
- Snow date: February 21, 2024 at 6:00 p.m
Learn more about the FCPS Magnet Programs here.
❄️ Preparing for Winter Weather
Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather-related closing decisions are made.
FCPS’ website is generally the first place where we will post an emergency weather closing. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.
Be sure to plan for the winter season. Make sure your contact information is up-to-date in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and plan for childcare if appropriate.
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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