|
Good Afternoon Westgate Families,
I hope this finds you having a fantastic spring week!
We have many upcoming events and celebrations as we finish out the school year, so please pay close attention to our school, and classroom newsletters, over the next few weeks so you don't miss out on anything.
Special thanks to our PTA and everyone who joined us at last week's Staff Volleyball game. Not only did we win the match, but we had so much fun hearing and seeing our community cheer us on. We are so fortunate to have such a supportive group of students who exude so much school spirit. Go Wolves!
As a reminder, there will be no school next Friday, May 3, in observance of Orthodox Greek Friday. Please ensure you have made alternate arrangements for your student on that day.
As always, thank you for your continued support of all things Westgate and have a wonderful weekend ahead!
All my best,
Hallie Demetriades
Principal
Spring Book Fair -Thank You
Thanks to everyone who supported our book fairs this year through purchases, donations, and volunteer hours. With money earned through the book fairs, we have been able to get more books to Westgate readers and add new books to the library collection. It is wonderful to see students excited about reading new books at home and in our school library.
Michelle Scherbenske & Caroline McNabb
Rising Kindergarten Playdates
Do you have a child who will be starting Kindergarten at Westgate in the Fall? Join us Sunday, May 5 from 4:00-5:30pm at the Westgate Elementary School Playground. Come out and meet other new students and their families for our upcoming playdates. PTA members will be on hand as well to answer any questions you may have. Please help spread the word.
Other Playdates include:
- Friday, June 14, from 4 p.m. until 5: 30 p.m. at the Westgate Elementary School Playground
- Sunday, July 21, from 5 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. at the Westgate Elementary School Playground
Teacher Appreciation Week - May 6-10
Many hands make light work. We need your help to show our Westgate. Teachers and Staff just how much we appreciate them! Signup links below!
-
Monday, May 6th- Sign up here to bring a breakfast food item or give of your time during the breakfast.
-
Wednesday, May 8th - Sign up here to donate a snack food item for the Roving Snack Cart, or give of your time to deliver snacks.
Panera Bread Fundraiser
Pick up dinner at Panera break on May 13th from 4-8pm at the 8365 Leesburg Pike Vienna VA location and support Westgate. Do not forget to mention the fundraiser in the store or use code when ordering online: FUND4U
Westgate - We Need You!
To ensure the success of planned events we need parent and family volunteers. We want you to be involved with us and need your help to ensure items like Fallfest, BINGO, Teacher Appreciation, Spirit Wear and so much more can continue.
This year we were fortunate to have board members that represented students in all grades (except for 3rd) and we want parents' voices from all grade levels. Please consider investing your time and talent into your child's experience at Westgate Elementary. Thank you to everyone that contributed either on the board or through events and activities to help make this year a successful return to the school building! Special thanks to Jessi Papapietro for stepping in mid year to ensure the after school programs were an option for our children this spring.
Please look out for information that will be coming soon in Tuesdays folders and upcoming PTA communications with more details about the roles on the board as well as event chairs and committee coordinators. You can also reach out to any member on the board to learn more! Please share your time and talents. Email president@westgatewolvespta.com
Order School Supplies Online!- Due June 25
The PTA is once again offering online school supply ordering. These kits are exactly what teachers have requested for next year. It's one stop, easy shopping for our community. You order online and in the fall the supplies will be shipped to the school and the PTA will deliver them to your child's classroom. This is not a fundraiser, just a courtesy to our community. Deadline is June 25th. Order today!
Order Online: here
School Code: WES461
West Fest
Please join Westgate Elementary School for our spring event, West Fest!
A group of Young Scholars and student leaders in 5th and 6th grade have been working all year on creating a community event that celebrates the diversity in our community and builds a sense of belonging. This event will take place on May 17th from 5:30 - 7:30. At West Fest, taste some of our community's favorite dishes, watch performances of our talented students, play games, and participate in a variety of activities! We hope you will join us!
In order for this event to be a success, we need your help. Please consider signing up to:
Volunteer
Bring one of your family's favorite foods
Perform
Rising Longfellow MS - Important Dates
Spring Open House – April 30,, 2024
We cordially invite all our Rising 7th & New FCPS families to our Spring Open House on Tuesday, April 30th from 6:30-7:30pm. During this time, you will have an opportunity to tour LMS and ask any questions you may have to prepare for the 23-24 school year. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Jump Start Registration Now Open!
Jump Start registration is now open on myschoolbucks. Choose between session 1 – August 5th – 6th or session 2 – August 7th – 8th.
Hours are 8:30a.m. – 12:00p.m. Look forward to learning about Longfellow with school tours, ice breakers, scavenger hunts, team building and more. If you have any questions, contact Lavina Gangwani-Colaco at lkgangwanico@fcps.edu
WestFest - May 17
A group of Young Scholars and student leaders in 5th and 6th grade have been working all year on creating a community event that celebrates the diversity in our community and builds a sense of belonging. This event will take place on May 17th from 5:30 - 7:30. At WestFest, taste some of our community's favorite dishes, watch performances of our talented students, play games, and participate in a variety of activities! We hope you will join us!
In order for this event to be a success, we need your help. Please consider signing up to:
Volunteer
Bring one of your family's favorite foods
Perform
Kindergarten Registration
Do you have, or know of a rising kindergartener scheduled to come to Westgate next year? All students that turn five by September 30, 2024 are eligible to attend Kindergarten this fall. Please spread the word that registration is underway as we are excited to meet our newest Wolves. Please consider registering asap since our staffing reflects the number of registered students. Registration information for kindergarten and new students can be found on our website here.
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.
-
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.
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.
|
|
