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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 Families:
Get those beautiful smiles ready…because it’s Spring Picture Day on Monday, March 11! It’s a perfect weekend to unbox those spring clothes and get fresh haircuts! Nothing like the scramble on picture day morning all families go through to get hair and clothes looking just right :)
Next Saturday, March 16 is our annual Westlawn Day, presented by the Westlawn PTA. We will have a number of community groups and organizations joining us for a morning of family fun, in addition to some groups and teams from FCHS! The event will run from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and take place on the Westlawn blacktop, field, and tennis courts (weather permitting; event will move inside in case of rain).
A reminder that Community Conversations with Principals are held virtually each Wednesday morning at 11:00 AM. Join Principal Hill, Tech Specialist Ms. Dushok, and Family Liaison Ms. Reyes to stay up-to-speed with the busy world at Westlawn ES! Check out the recording from this week's CCwP located here.
The Westlawn team is committed to providing a learning experience that nurtures your child’s natural abilities, advocates for growth and excellence, and empowers your child to reach their full potential.
Stay up-to-date with school events by accessing our Westlawn All Families Schoology Calendar. Access an overview of the entire school year, including holidays and cultural observance days, by clicking here.
And be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram!
At Westlawn, we soar together.
At Westlawn, we soar together.
Individually Unique … Together Extraordinary
Somos Westlawn.
Your Proud Principals,
Christoph Hill, Anaya Bryson, and Stephanie Carpenter
Upcoming Dates:
March 11: Spring Picture Day
March 12: 3rd and 4th Grade Link Up Field Trip - GMU Campus
March 13: Restaurant Night @ Chipotle (7 Corners Location, 4:00 -8:00 PM)
March 16: Westlawn Day (Westlawn Cafe and Gym from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM)
March 17: Science Fair at Robinson Secondary School (1:00 - 3:00 PM)
March 20: Laps for Learning Event (Westlawn Field during school hours)
March 21: Drama Troupe Performance (5:00 - 6:30 PM)
March 22: Ziva’s Spanish Dance Assembly (during instructional day)
March 22: End of 3rd Quarter
March 25-29: Spring Break (No School for Students)
April 1: Teacher Workday (No School for Students)
April 2: Staff Development Day (No School for Students)
April 3: Start of 4th Quarter
April 9: Kindergarten Orientation (Westlawn Cafe @ 9AM)
April 15: Advanced Academic Placement (AAP) Orientation (Westlawn Library, 6:00 - 7:00 PM)
April 17: Falls Church Pyramid Art Show (FCHS Main Gym and Lobby from 5:00 - 7:00 PM)
April 19: Westlawn Art Night (Westlawn Blacktop from 5:30 - 7:00 PM)
May 16: Family Adventure Night (5:00 - 6:30 PM on Westlawn Field)
May 31: Westlawn Talent Show (5:30 PM, Howe-Tillett Gymnasium)
Spring Picture Day - Monday, March 11
Spring pictures will take place on Monday, March 11. Each classroom has an allocated time for pictures. If you are interested in volunteering for this event please contact Ms. Hilda Reyes, hreyes@fcps.edu.
Westlawn Day - March 16 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Westlawn Day is fast-approaching, and we need volunteers for set-up, tear-down, and other stations. If you are able and available, please register for a volunteer opportunity for the event! Use the link below to sign up.
https://signup.com/go/nSPmGqk
✅ Take the Family Engagement Survey!
FCPS’ Family Engagement Survey is now open. Survey partner K12 Insight emailed a link to families on March 3 and again on March 6. Please participate! Your feedback is critical in helping to inform and improve FCPS practices to best support our students.
The survey is available in 10 languages. Parents/caregivers may stop by the front office to fill out a paper survey or complete the survey online. Please check your email for the survey invitation or use this survey link. Get more information on the Family Engagement Survey webpage.
Principal Evaluation Feedback Form
On Monday, March 18, Westlawn families will be sent an email containing a link to complete the online FCPS Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Feedback Form. This questionnaire is part of the VDOE-mandated Performance Evaluation Program for principals and offers parents/guardians an opportunity to provide anonymous input about various topics related to our school. These topics include how the principal demonstrates/impacts instructional leadership, school climate, management, communication and community relations, culturally responsive and equitable leadership, and professionalism within the school.
The questionnaire will be administered between March 18 and April 5. When you receive an email from FCPS Surveys, please take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire. Your feedback matters!
Laps for Learning - March 20
Children have been hard at work gathering lap donations for our Laps for Learning event on March 20! If you would like to volunteer your time on the 20th please click this sign-up link and select a time.
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Westlawn Spirit Days
We will continue to celebrate Not-So-Secret Staff and Student Spirit Days each Wednesday in the new year. This Wednesday is Dapper Day! Dress your children in their fanciest, most dapper attire.
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Family Engagement Survey to Open March 3
FCPS is partnering with independent research firm K12 Insight to administer a Family Engagement Survey, which will be open from Sunday, March 3, to Friday, March 22. Your feedback is critical in helping FCPS to better recognize, understand, respect, and address family strengths and needs throughout the district. Survey topics include:
- Welcoming environment
- Communication
- Student success
- Advocacy
- Family and school partnerships
- Community partnerships
The survey will be available in English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Pashto, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
Parents/caregivers will receive the survey link via email from K12 Insight. A public link will also be posted on FCPS’ website. Paper surveys will be available in our front office. Please stay tuned for more information.
Winter VGA Assessment Results - Grades 3-6
Results of the Winter VGA assessments in math and reading were mailed from FCPS central offices this week. Results are also currently available on ParentVUE. For questions regarding student performance and score reporting please contact your child’s teacher.
Bipartisan Study Finds Virginia Public School Divisions Receive Less Funding per Student Than Other States
The School Board recently adopted FCPS’ FY 2025 Advertised Budget. Meeting budget needs becomes more of a challenge with underfunding by the state, using staffing formulas that continue to result in school districts not receiving the actual support needed for excellent public education. A staffing formula is the method for calculating the number of positions that need to be assigned to meet program needs.
Did You Know?
In July 2023, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) released a study of Virginia’s K-12 funding formulas. The report found that Virginia school divisions receive less funding per student than the 50-state average, the regional average, and many of Virginia’s neighboring states including West Virginia, Maryland, and Kentucky. Learn more about the JLARC study. View FCPS’ budget development timeline.
Contact your state officials to provide feedback on funding for K-12 education.
🥁 Summer Camps and Learning Programs
Have you made summer plans for your child yet? Are you looking for a summer camp for your child with special needs?
The Family Resource Center has compiled information on summer camps including local options, camps for students with special needs (sorted by need), and camps for students experiencing grief or who have parents in the military.
Community Conversations with Principals
Join Mr. Hill, Ms. Carpenter, and Dr. Bryson for Weekly Community Conversations this school year. Weekly sessions will be held virtually on Wednesday mornings at 11:00AM. You can access these sessions using this link. Slide decks and recordings will be posted to the website as quickly as possible after the close of the week’s conversation. Families can access all materials here: https://westlawnes.fcps.edu/get-involved
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Do you want to celebrate a Westlawn staff member who does ordinary things in an extraordinary way, or goes beyond what is expected? If so, then click here to share with everyone. |
Collecting a Student for Early Dismissal
Families are reminded that they should call the main office at 703-241-5100 to arrange to get a student for early dismissal. We do not monitor our TalkingPoints account all day, and we may not receive messages about early dismissals in a timely manner. We ask that families picking up children early do so before 3:00 PM to avoid conflicts with the schoolwide dismissal process.
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!
How to Register for Pre-K or Early Head Start
Fairfax County offers pre-K for students 3-4 years old whose parents meet income requirements and Early Head Start is for infants, toddlers, and expectant mothers who meet income requirements. To register, parents or caregivers should:
- Complete the application form.
- Make a copy of the child’s birth certificate and a residency document (lease, dead, or mortgage).
If your child is selected for one of the programs, the following will need to be completed:
- A school physical.
- Dental exam.
- FCPS school registration forms.
Bus Delay Information
If a bus is delayed or more information is needed, parents and guardians can access the FCPS Bus Delay Website or contact the Area Transportation Office.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to sign up to receive Here Comes the Bus notifications.
Parents and guardians can be notified by text, phone call and/or email when a bus is delayed 30 minutes or more by indicting these options through their SIS ParentVUE account.
Child Find Screenings
Child Find is the process of identifying children with potential special education needs as well as educating the community about child development and the importance of early intervention. Child Find screenings and services are provided by the FCPS Early Childhood Identification and Services program for children ages 20 months through 5 years who live in Fairfax County or Fairfax city. Learn more on the Child Find website.
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.
What Is ParentVUE and How Can You Sign Up?
If you do not already have a ParentVUE SIS account, sign up now to monitor and support your child’s academic success! Through ParentVUE, you are able to monitor your student’s attendance, grades, and assignments at any time. You can also access special reports for your student like progress reports and assessments score reports.
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. SIS ParentVUE can be accessed using an app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android devices.
Need help creating a SIS ParentVUE account? This video walks you through the steps on how to do so. You can also find out more about SIS ParentVUE on our website.
Update Your Emergency Care Information Through weCare@school
Fairfax County Public Schools provides weCare@school (weCare), an emergency care information system, to parents/caregivers who have registered for their own parent account. weCare helps manage emergency medical information by allowing parents to enter and update their children’s medical data online at their convenience. That contact information automatically enrolls parents/caregivers to receive eNotify communications from the district and their child’s school. eNotify is the communications tool for FCPS emergency, transportation, attendance, weather closing and delay, and essential outreach messages. Messages are sent via email, text, and occasionally phone. Click to edit this placeholder text.
🔍 Lightspeed Parent Report on Child’s Device Activity
FCPS has tools to help parents know more about their child’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided at no cost to families by Lightspeed, the school division’s internet content filtering service.
Parents may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites your child visited. The report also offers parents the ability to sign up for free access to the Internet Use Parent Portal. Through the portal, parents may pause their child’s access to the internet on their FCPS device during non-school hours.
Learn more about Lightspeed Parent Reports.
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.
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 Instagram accounts for a glimpse into daily school life.
Falls Church High School Athletics
FCHS offers a variety of athletic opportunities for students - and it’s never too early to get your children interested in different sports! Visit the FCPS Athletics webpage for team information, calendars, and more.
Westlawn 2023-2024 PTA Board
We are excited to announce our PTA Cabinet!
Simone Rose, President
Deirdre Ladd, Vice President
Christine Lusk and Dave Jones, Treasurers
Jordan Kislear, Secretary
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