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 Volume 1, Issue 4
Leadership Ledger
Westlawn Families:
While I’ve always been impressed with our childrens’ kindness and courtesy, and regularly receive compliments from outside our community regarding student behavior, our children have kicked it up a notch in the Westlawn Cafe. Appropriate conversational tones, warm language, and respect for the dining environment have been a focus for children in all grade levels this year, and children are collaborating and partnering to enhance our dining experience the Westlawn Way!
I'm also excited to announce that our first PTA meeting of the year will be held next Tuesday at 6:30 PM. This is a great opportunity to connect with other parents, learn about school initiatives, and get involved in our community. The virtual meeting link will be sent out prior to this meeting. We hope to see you there!
Your Proud Principals,
Christoph Hill and Stephanie Carpenter
 An autumn Westlawn tradition is to celebrate Color Days to help kindergarteners learn their colors. Check out Mrs. Feldman’s girls celebrating this week’s color: red! You can see more photos on Mrs. Feldman’s class Instagram. And, to keep track of other Color Days, stay tuned to Westlawn social media or keep tabs on our website calendar!
 Attendance matters and Westlawn is here to help!
Did you know that a student who misses 10% of school days is considered chronically absent? That breaks down to 18 days per year, or about 2 per month. One of our evergreen school goals is to reduce the number of chronically absent students. To help with that goal, we have created the Westlawn Attendance Team: Silvia Caballero, Marcela Escalante, Sarah Jacoby, Marisa Johnson, and Hilda Reyes.
- If a student is absent for 5 days, a member of the Westlawn Attendance Team will contact the family using TalkingPoints to alert them that 5 days have been missed.
- Additional action will be taken at various intervals to combat chronic absenteeism and support families in getting children to school regularly.
We are Title I! What does that mean?
Westlawn is a Title I school, which means we receive extra funding due to the percent of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. Learn more about how Westlawn uses the extra funding and what it means to be a Title I school in FCPS.
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures at Kenfig and Nottage
Families are encouraged to be mindful when dropping off and picking up students at Kenfig and Nottage. The small, busy intersection features plenty of foot traffic, but is not designed for the volume of car traffic it often receives.
Please exercise caution around this intersection. If you drop off or pick up by vehicle, please do not block sidewalk cuts, which are needed by students on bicycles or by families pushing strollers or using mobility-enhancement devices.
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FCPS News
Are you curious about what’s happening more broadly in FCPS? This week’s In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) FCPS roundup covers:
- Understanding Student Rights and Responsibilities
- School Safety Reminders
- Community Conversations with Dr. Reid
 September 6: Outdoor Movie Night
The Scouts are hosting an outdoor movie night for the community! Learn more about it.
September 9: Discovery Zone Cleanup
Join the Scouts after school and help clean up and beautify the Discovery Zone. Learn more about it.
September 10: PTA Meeting
The PTA Meeting will be held on Zoom at 6:30 PM with available translation into Spanish. Click here to join the meeting. All families are welcome! You can also become a member of the PTA today.
September 11: Color Days - Wear Orange!
The entire Westlawn community is invited to help kindergarten students learn colors by wearing the color of the day on Wednesdays during the first part of the year. On September 11, please wear orange!
September 16: The Bandage Program
FCPS high school students will be hosting a series of virtual learning sessions and in-person opportunities related to science and medicine, geared toward FCPS elementary and middle school students. Learn more here.
September 19: Back to School Night
Visit teacher classrooms and learn about students’ exciting learning opportunities this year! Learn more here.
To see more schoolwide and community events, remember to check out our website calendar! You can also subscribe to our calendar to make it even more convenient.
 Social Media Opportunity: Be a Blue Star Featured Family!
We are looking for a few military families to be featured on social media during Blue Star Welcome Week. Featured families will be interviewed by Ms. Dushok and asked to share a few favorite family photos that show what life is like for military families. Interviews and photos will be highlighted on our social media channels during Blue Star Welcome Week (September 21-29, 2024). Please contact Ms. Dushok if your family would like to participate.
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Grant a Teacher’s Wish!
Thank you to those families who have granted a teacher’s wish! You brought smiles and joy to teachers who have been working so hard to make sure Westlawn students are nurtured, advocated for, and empowered! We are sharing the teacher wish lists one more time as a reminder to families who may have wanted to sponsor a wish and forgotten in the chaos of the extra-long weekend.
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Volunteer Opportunity: Clean Up the Discovery Zone
Join the Scouts on September 9 at 5:00 PM to help clean up the Discovery Zone! You will get a good workout, meet new friends, and feel the satisfaction of making a difference for Westlawn students.
Volunteer Opportunity: Westlawn Library
We are looking for a few volunteers to help in our library! Volunteers will be asked to commit to a shift in the morning (before 11 am) or the late afternoon (2:30-3:30). Shifts might be an hour once or twice per week depending on the volunteer’s availability. Volunteer tasks include shelving books and maintaining the collection. If you are interested, please contact our librarian, Ms. Heyer.
Join a Community Conversation
Join us on Wednesday at 11 AM on Zoom to hear the important news from the school from Principal Hill! Community Conversations happen weekly barring school holidays or weather closures. If you miss a Community Conversation, you can catch up with slides and AI-generated transcripts on our website.
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