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A Message From Your Principals
Westlawn Families:
Thank you to all the Westlawn Families who made last week memorable. Laps for Learning was a success, the Westlawn Drama Club put on three flawless performances of Celebraciones!, and children left for break ready to return for the 4th Quarter!
We wish all our families a safe and relaxing Spring Break, filled with love, laughter, and hugs from those you hold dear. We’ll miss you!
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 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 8: SCA Coin Drive Begins
April 8: Solar Eclipse
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)
April 20: Young Scholars Field Trip to Sully Historic Site (contact gamaxwell@fcps.edu for info)
May 16: Family Adventure Night (5:00 - 6:30 PM on Westlawn Field)
May 23: Thomas Jefferson Librarian Visit (during instructional day)
May 31: Westlawn Talent Show (5:30 PM, Howe-Tillett Gymnasium)
Celebraciones Performance
Last Thursday evening the Westlawn Drama Club, in collaboration with Creative Cauldron, put on their culminating performance of Celebraciones! The children were amazing, the script and scenery were beautiful, and the accompanying music was breath-taking! Thank you for Ms. Lenny Mendez, show creator, and Ms. Laura Hull, organization director, for their hard work and dedication to our Westlawn Community. And thanks to one of our wonderful families, you can view the whole performance on our website.
Kindergarten Orientation - April 9 @ 9:00 AM
If you have a rising kindergartener for the 2024-2025 school year we invite you to join the Westlawn Kindergarten Team on April 9 in the Westlawn Cafe for an introduction to our program! The kindergarten team will preview kindergarten curriculum and share how families can enhance the experience with their children. No registration necessary.
SOL Schedule
Virginia Standards of Learning assessments will begin at the end of April for students in grades 3-6. Below is the testing schedule for Westlawn.
April 23 - 5th Grade Writing (IRW)
May 1: 3rd - 6th Grade Reading Assessment
May 8: 3rd - 6th Grade Math Assessment
May 14: 5th Grade Science Assessment
SCA Coin Drive - April 8
Our Student Council Association (SCA) is initiating a coin drive beginning on April 8. Coin collection jars will be located in each classroom for students to contribute to the effort. All funds collected will compliment the PTA’s donation for updated recess equipment for all students at Westlawn.
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!
Intensive English Classes - Registration Opens March 19
In addition to our regular Beginning English, Family Learning, and Skills Classes, we offer an Intensive English Program for English learners who want to focus on the language and soft skills that will help them improve their employability and advancement potential. These 8-week classes meet Monday-Thursday for 4 hours/day (9:30am-1:30pm).
Prospective students can register for the next session on Tuesday, March 19 from 10:30am-12:00pm at the City of Alexandria Workforce Development Center (4850 Mark Center Dr., 6th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22311). Classes will start on April 15 and run through June 6. (see attached flyer for all of the details)
The 3 Intensive levels will meet as follows:
Literacy Level: In-person at the Workforce Development Center
Beginning Level: online via Zoom
Intermediate Level: In-person at the Workforce Development Center
*For all students, the English Empowerment Center will provide loaner laptops to ensure equitable participation. This session will also include preparation for a hospitality credential for intermediate-level learners.*
Informational Flier
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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 Vacation Shirt Day! Dress your children in a vacation shirt to prepare for Spring Break!
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✅ Take the Family Engagement Survey Today!
If you haven’t already, please take FCPS’ Family Engagement Survey today! Survey results will help us to better recognize, understand, respect, and address family strengths and needs in our school community. Survey topics include:
- Welcoming environment
- Communication
- Student success
- Advocacy
- Family and school partnerships
- Community partnerships
The survey is available in 10 languages. Please check your email for a message from FCPS partner, K12 Insight, with a link to the survey or access the survey now. Your voice matters!
☀️ Safely View the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8
A total solar eclipse will occur on Monday, April 8, and will be viewable, depending on weather, in Fairfax County. The eclipse will begin in our area around 2:04 p.m. and end around 4:32 p.m., with the maximum eclipse occurring around 3:20 p.m.
Because the timing overlaps with dismissal, it is crucial that students understand the importance of safe viewing practices. We encourage families to review these Solar Eclipse Resources, especially the eye safety information. We hope everyone takes the opportunity to learn more about this extraordinary natural phenomenon while prioritizing safe solar viewing.
🏐 New Athletic Opportunities for Students
The FCPS advertised budget for next school year expands high school athletics with boys volleyball and girls wrestling, giving students more ways to nurture their passion and enhance their well-being. FCPS is now in the middle of the annual budget process, which includes opportunities for you to give feedback. See the Budget Calendar for details. Learn more about the FCPS FY 2025 Advertised Budget.
New Regulation on Meditation and Silent Reflection Spaces
FCPS has developed Regulation 1502 to ensure all students and staff have reasonable accommodation and access to meditation and silent reflection spaces within the school division. The regulation provides guidance for schools on how to manage requests for silent reflection during instructional and non-instructional time, and for students to leave school for religious activities.
These spaces are for individuals to engage in prayer, meditation, or silent reflection, inclusive of their religious or non-religious beliefs. Parents/caregivers must provide written permission for students requesting to miss instructional time on a regular basis. Families are encouraged to contact Westlawn Principals regarding accommodations. View Regulation 1502. Visit FCPS' Guidelines for Religious Activities webpage for more information.
#InvestInExcellence ✨
The average amount of funds transferred from Fairfax County to FCPS was 52.6% of county disbursements from Fiscal Years 2019-2023. It dipped to 51.6% in 2024. The county’s budget proposal for next year would transfer 51.4% of total disbursements. If the county returns to 52.6% for the upcoming year, that would be $63 million more as an investment in excellence for our schools.
We are in the middle of the annual budget process, which includes opportunities for you to give feedback.
Give your feedback on the Fairfax County budget: https://engage.fairfaxcounty.gov/FY25Budget
Contact your state and federal elected officials to provide feedback on funding for K-12 education: https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov
Learn more about the FCPS FY 2025 Advertised Budget: https://bit.ly/FCPS-AdvBudget-FY25
Safe, Supported, and Included — the FCPS Family Summit 2024
The FCPS Family Summit will take place on Saturday, April 20, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Marshall High School. The conference will cover topics that are helpful for all families, such as social-emotional resources, along with a specially curated online component to provide supports for students with disabilities and their families.
Some of the topics include raising resilient, independent children; forming meaningful connections with children; addressing big emotions; and the dangers of opioids and fentanyl. The conference is being planned by several FCPS offices in collaboration with the Fairfax Alliance of Black School Educators, Black Women’s Educational Alliance - DC Chapter, Hispanic Educators Association, and Asian Educators Association.
This year’s theme is Safe, Supported, and Included, which aligns with Goal 2 of the FCPS Strategic Plan. More details will be available after spring break.
🥁 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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