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Good Afternoon Westgate Families,
I hope this finds you having a fantastic start to the week. Last Friday, Westgate hosted our annual Career Day. It was a day full of excitement, and we are so grateful to all our parents and community members that came to present to our students! It was interesting to hear all about their professional experiences, and the exciting things they get to do each and every day. Also, we were highlighted on the Fox 5 news program Friday evening since their anchors, Angie Goff & Shomari Stone, visited our 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students that day. It was so fun to see both our students, and our school, celebrated in such a positive way. I was beyond proud of how well our students represented our incredible school community. In case you missed us on the news, you can watch it here.
In addition, I am thrilled to announce that we have hired a new Family Liaison at Westgate. Ana Trevino will be with us on Tuesdays and Fridays. You can read more about her below but she is eager to begin meeting families and supporting our student, staff, and community needs.
As always, thank you for your continued support of all things Westgate and have a wonderful week ahead!
All my best,
Hallie Demetriades
Principal
Meet Our New Family Liaison - Ana Trevino
Hello team! I'm excited to officially introduce myself as the new Family Liaison at Westgate. I'm Ana Treviño, and I'm here to continue supporting our collaboration and communication. If there's anything you need or want to discuss regarding our families, feel free to reach out at aktrevinogon@fcps.edu. Let's continue working together to strengthen our connections and make a positive impact on the community we serve. Thank you!
¡Hola equipo! Estoy emocionada de presentarme oficialmente como la nueva Enlace Familiar. Soy Ana Treviño y estoy aquí para seguir apoyando nuestra colaboración y comunicación. Si hay algo que necesiten o quieran discutir con respecto a nuestras familias, no duden en comunicarse a aktrevinogon@fcps.edu. Sigamos trabajando juntos para fortalecer nuestras conexiones y tener un impacto positivo en la comunidad que servimos. ¡Gracias!
Volunteers Needed for the PTA
To ensure the success of planned events we need parent and family volunteers. We want you to be involved with us.
- We need support with the ongoing administration of the PTA in the form of a nominating committee. Our goal is to have this committee formed by March 1st to help in identifying/nominating PTA Board Members for the upcoming school year.
- Do you have a rising kindergartener for the 20224-2025 school year? We need a volunteer to coordinate three playdates over the spring and summer for the incoming kindergarten families. We are asking now in the hopes this person can solidify some dates before the rising kindergarten orientation in April. This person also coordinates the Boo Hoo breakfast for families on the first day of school.
Please share your time and talents.
Email president@westgatewolvespta.com
MOD Pizza Fundraiser - February 11
Save the Date! ALL DAY Sunday February 11th order MOD Pizza from the Tysons location (8399 Leesburg Pike) and support Westgate! This is a great way to order pizza for lunch or for the Super Bowl and support the PTA. Don't forget to use the code MODGIVES25 when ordering online or mention the flyer in the store!
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 - Goal-Directed and Resilient Individual
Another of the Portrait of a Graduate attributes we focus on is being a goal-directed and resilient individual. As students grow as goal-directed and resilient individuals, they have skills to successfully address challenges that they will encounter throughout their lifetime.
Goal-Directed and Resilient Individuals:
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Engage in healthy choices to help their physical and emotional well-being
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Problem-solve difficult tasks
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Manage time and resources to accomplish goals
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Recognize their own strengths and growth
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Advocate for themselves
Ideas for Discussing Goal-Directedness and Resiliency at Home
Pay attention to when you utilize goal-directed and resilient skills in different situations throughout your day. Try to regularly share these examples with your student and explain how you used specific goal-directed and resilient skills to help navigate 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 model the skills, demonstrate the importance of reflection, and build understanding of how skills can be used in and beyond school.
You might ask your student questions such as:
- Why is it important to identify challenges and work to overcome them?
- If you want to ___, what’s a goal you might make? What could be your plan to meet the goal?
- How might you take responsibility for your actions, completing work, mistakes, etc?
- How might you take responsibility for
- your actions?
- completing work?
- mistakes?
- From the mistake ___, what did you learn?
- How can you be a good goal-directed and resilient individual when you are ___ (ex: trying something new; making choices about how to spend your time; in need of help)?
- What do you want to remember to be a goal-directed and resilient individual tomorrow?
Superintendent to Present FY 2025 Proposed Budget
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid will present the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Proposed Budget at the School Board meeting on Thursday, February 8, at 7:30 p.m. Dr. Reid’s presentation, as well as other budget documents, will be available after she presents to the board.
View the meeting on FCPS Cable TV Channel 99 (Verizon Channel 11), the FCPS YouTube Channel, or the FCPS website. To watch School Board meetings dubbed in Spanish, please visit the FCPS en Español YouTube channel.
If you would like language interpretation or American Sign Language support for any School Board meeting, please contact the board clerk. Find your School Board member and how to contact them on the School Board Members webpage.
Spanish:La Superintendente presentará el Presupuesto Propuesto para el Año Fiscal 2025
Superintendente Dra. Michelle Reid presentará el Presupuesto Propuesto para el Año Fiscal (AF) 2025 en la reunión de la Junta Escolar el jueves, 8 de febrero, a las 7:30 p.m. La presentación de la Dra. Reid, así como otros documentos del presupuesto, estarán disponibles después de su presentación a la Junta Escolar.
Vea la reunión en FCPS Cable TV Canal 99 (Verizon Canal 11), el Canal de FCPS YouTube, o el sitio web de FCPS. Para ver las reuniones de la Junta Escolar traducidas al español, por favor visite el canal de FCPS en Español en YouTube.
Si necesita interpretación o apoyo de Lenguaje de Señas Americano para cualquier reunión de la Junta Escolar, por favor comuníquese con el secretario de la junta. Encuentre a su miembro de la Junta Escolar y cómo contactarlos en la página web de Miembros de la Junta Escolar.
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.
🚍 Here Comes the Bus
Want to know if your child's bus is on schedule or where the bus is? Here Comes the Bus® is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus — almost in real time — on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer.
Parents can track multiple buses if their children don’t all ride the same bus; know exactly when children arrive at school or the bus stop; and receive customized text and/or email notifications about bus locations, schedule changes, or delays.
To get started, download the app from the Apple iOS or Android app store. Check out the Here Comes the Bus and Frequently Asked Questions webpages for more information.
Already using the Here Comes the Bus app? Send your feedback to HCTB@fcps.edu.
Note: eNotify text messaging will continue to be used for reporting bus delays and bus incidents.
Spanish:🚍 Here Comes the Bus (Ahí Viene el Autobús)
¿Quiere saber si el autobús de su hijo llegará a tiempo o dónde está? Here Comes the Bus® es un sitio web y una aplicación fáciles de usar que permiten que los padres vean la ubicación del autobús escolar de sus hijos -casi en tiempo real- en un smartphone, una tableta o un ordenador personal.
Los padres pueden ver la ubicación de varios autobuses en caso de que sus hijos no viajen todos en el mismo autobús; saber exactamente cuándo llegan los niños a la escuela o a la parada de autobús; y recibir notificaciones personalizadas por mensaje de texto y/o correo electrónico sobre la ubicación de los autobuses, los cambios de horario o los retrasos.
Para comenzar, baje la aplicación de la tienda de aplicaciones de Apple iOS o Android. Consulte las páginas web Here Comes The Bus y Preguntas Frecuentes para obtener más información.
¿Ya utiliza la aplicación Here Comes the Bus? Envíen sus comentarios a HCTB@fcps.edu.
Aviso: La mensajería de texto eNotify seguirá utilizándose para informar de retrasos e incidencias en los autobuses.
🗺️ 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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