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A Message From Your Principals
Westlawn Families:
This coming week we look forward to celebrating an event that, after this Monday, will not be visible from the contiguous United States until August 23, 2044! A full solar-eclipse! And thanks to a Westlawn Family and the National Science Foundation, all our Soaring Eagles will have the opportunity to safely view this phenomenon on Monday afternoon through approved ISO 12312-2 glasses! To put this into perspective, current kindergarteners will be 25 years old the next time a full eclipse is viewable in Northern Virginia!!
This week our 6th graders will journey down to Williamsburg and Jamestown, an opportunity missed during their 4th grade year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. And, as we prepare to send our 6th graders to middle school, this week we welcome new Westlawn Kindergarten families for our Kindergarten Orientation on April 9th @ 9:00 AM in the Westlawn Cafe!
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:
April 8: SCA Coin Drive Begins
April 8: Solar Eclipse (more info for Westlawn students below)
April 9: Kindergarten Orientation (Westlawn Cafe @ 9AM)
April 9: 6th Grade Field Trip to Jamestown
April 9: PTA Meeting (virtual link, 6:30 - 7:30 PM)
April 10: Staff and Student Holiday (Eid-al-Fitr)
April 11 - Third Quarter Progress Reports Sent Home
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)
April 20: FCPS Family Summit (8:30 - 1:00 PM @ Marshall HS)
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)
June 11: 6th Grade Promotion Ceremony
☀️ Westlawn Students Will Safely View the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8
Due to a gracious donation by the National Science Foundation, facilitated by a Westlawn Family, each child will have the opportunity to safely view the eclipse using approved glasses on the afternoon of April 8. Between 2:45 - 3:15, each class has a scheduled time and place to view. 800 children and 37 classrooms moving around at the same time 30 minutes before dismissal is challenging, but worth the unique experience. Please exercise flexibility during the dismissal process on the 8th.
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 complement the PTA’s donation for updated recess equipment for all students at Westlawn.
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.
Student Holiday on Wednesday, April 10 - Eid al-Fitr
A reminder that this Wednesday, April 10, is a student holiday. There will be no school for students. Please make childcare arrangements accordingly.
Summer STEAM with Virginia Tech
There are a number of STEAM summer programs, hosted by Virginia Tech affiliates. See a brief description of each camp below. Sign-up here if your child is interested.
- StellarXplorers – A space system design camp where students focus on team problem-solving associated with sending objects to space.
- Robotics Camp – Students will engage in coding and programming VEX Robots.
- Drone Camp – A hands-on, technical application camp where students learn the basics of coding, programming, and flying drones.
Coding Camp – Students will engage in hands-on coding activities using block coding and Python programming languages.
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
🏫 Advertised Budget Focuses on Schools and Instruction
Investing in excellence means putting our dollars where it matters most — schools and instruction. Nearly 93% of FCPS full-time staff work directly in our schools. And nearly 86% of FCPS’ Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Advertised Budget is dedicated to instructional programs across all grade levels, including special education.
Only 5% of the advertised budget is for general support and central administration. Central office administrators represent only 0.8% of total full-time positions.
For more details on FCPS’ advertised budget, view budget documents, including the FY 2025 Budget Book.
Check out the Budget Calendar for important dates in the budget process as well as opportunities for the community to provide feedback.
Register Today for the FCPS Family SummitRegistration is open for the FCPS Family Summit, which will take place on Saturday, April 20, 8:30 a.m.-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 theme — Safe, Supported, and Included — aligns with Goal 2 of FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan.
🗳️ Nominations Open for the Bussey Memorial Equity Award
The Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC) sponsors the Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award to honor the legacy of Dr. Bussey, a founding member of the MSAOC and a longtime advocate for students and families. Read more about Dr. Bussey.
This award recognizes staff or community members who have demonstrated significant and impactful efforts to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of students from groups who are marginalized or underserved.
Any FCPS employee, student, or community member can nominate an individual or group for the award. All nomination materials must be submitted by Wednesday, May 1. The winner will be recognized at the FCPS Equity Symposium on Tuesday, June 18.
Full details and the nomination information form are available on the Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award webpage.
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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