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 Volume 1, Issue 16
Leadership Ledger
Westlawn Families:
We hope all our families had a relaxing Thanksgiving, filled with love, laughter, and good cheer. It was wonderful to see students back in the building Monday morning!
We look forward to two big events next week at Westlawn: our annual Book Fair, which opens on Monday, December 9, and our Winter Concert on the evening of December 10. Our Book Fair Friends and Family Event will take place December 10th as well, and we welcome families to come to the book fair after student dismissal and stay for the Winter Concert beginning at 6:30 PM. What’s better than a two-for-one?!
With less than three weeks remaining before Winter Break, it’s important to emphasize the power of regular and consistent student attendance. Each day counts, and every learning opportunity must be capitalized upon to ensure children reach their highest potential. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child(ren)’s attendance, please contact the Westlawn Front Office at 703-241-5100 and ask to speak to a member of the Attendance Team.
It’s amazing how fast a year goes by… thank you for partnering with Westlawn and making each day special for our children.
Sincerely,
Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss
Proud Principals
 Are you getting excited for the Book Fair? These students certainly are! Check out today’s issue of The Feather Report for information about setting up an eWallet and volunteering at the Book Fair next week!
Reminder: Window for Full-Time AAP Referrals Closes on December 15, 2024
Parents/guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for Full-Time advanced academic programs may submit the AAP Full-Time Referral Form to the office or via email to Gretchen Maxwell no later than December 15, 2024.
The window for families to submit a referral for Full-Time AAP services is the first day of school through December 15, annually. Get a form for Full-Time and part-time referrals. No late referrals for Full-Time AAP services will be accepted.
Submitting a referral form for Full-Time AAP will initiate a process that begins at the local school and is then completed at the central office level. Our school will put together a portfolio that includes multiple data which are considered holistically. At the central office level, a committee of six trained professionals from various schools and roles will review the portfolio materials to determine eligibility for Full-Time placement. Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of the portfolio that was submitted after they have been turned in for central selection by emailing Gretchen Maxwell.
Referrals for Subject-Specific and Part-Time AAP are screened at the local school. If you miss this deadline, your student can still be screened for Subject-Specific AAP or Part-Time AAP for the remainder of the year and submit a referral for Full-Time AAP next fall.
For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs website.
No December PTA Meeting
We invite families to the next PTA meeting on January 14, which will be held on Zoom with Spanish interpretation. Look for the link in an upcoming Feather Report!
Preparing for Winter Weather
Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather-related closing decisions are made.
FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.
Be sure to plan for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and arrange for childcare if needed.
Keep Your Child Warm During Outdoor Activities
We will monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories which may prevent children from being outside. Make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing, so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. See the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.
If you need assistance supplying your child with cold-weather clothing, please call our parent liaisons, Ms. Reyes and Ms. Yataco, at 703-241-5100. They can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and health care.
Literacy Resources for Winter Break and Beyond
If you are wondering how to help your child continue learning during winter break, or whenever you are home with them, we have two sites available to help! The Literacy Resources for Families page offers resources--many in Spanish--to help families understand the process of reading and language development. The Family Facing Curriculum page shows families what students are learning and when they are learning it.
Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions (Grade 6 Only)
All students in grade 6 will be given the opportunity to participate in the Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions, which is being offered this year to all students in grades 6-8. The gathered data will be used to help identify positive perceptions of working and learning conditions in schools. Westlawn will receive a report about the data once it is available. If you do not wish for your sixth grade student to participate, you may opt them out of the survey by calling our office at 703-241-5100.
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:
- Preparing for Winter Weather
- SEL Screener Results
- Varsity Girls Wrestling Is New Winter Sport
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
December 9-13: Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair will be held December 9-13 in the Westlawn library! The Family and Friends Night will be on Tuesday, December 10. Now is the perfect time to set up an eWallet for your child so they can shop at the fair without needing to carry around a baggie full of cash. Also: we need book fair volunteers!
December 10: Friends, Books, and Music
It is an afternoon and evening of excitement on December 10! The book fair will be hosting a Family and Friends Night from 3:30 PM - 6:15 PM in the library. Then the band and strings winter concert will take place in the gym at 6:30 PM. We hope to see you that evening!
December 11: Hoodie Wednesdays
We finished teaching kindergarteners their colors, and now we will switch over to other fun clothing days on Wednesdays. Until winter break, all Wednesdays will be Hoodie Wednesdays! Students and staff are encouraged to wear hoodies to school to be comfortable and to remember to keep it easy during this busy time of year.
December 11: Restaurant Night
The December Restaurant Night will be held at Panera in the Mosaic District from 4-8 PM. Use the code FUND4U at online checkout when ordering in the cafe, via the drive-thru, for pickup, or for delivery. Westlawn will earn 30% of sales!
December 14: Virginia Bronze Handbell Ensemble
Did you enjoy hearing the Virginia Bronze Handbell Ensemble at our winter choral and instrumental concert? You can hear them perform in Tysons! Learn more and snag free tickets.
December 20: Gingerbread House Decorating
Save the date! More details are coming soon!
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.
Volunteer at the Book Fair
Volunteer to help sell books, update displays, and help students complete wish lists.
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 recordings on our website.
Gift Giving Ideas!
Are you looking for some gift ideas for your child that are both good for their brain AND fun? We are big fans of strategy games!! We have a large collection of strategy games here at Westlawn that are used in our STEAM academy clubs, for indoor recess, or for small groups and lunch bunches. Here’s a few of our favorites: (These are all Amazon links, but we do not suggest this is the only place to purchase.)
ALSO: We are looking for donations of your cardboard paper towel tubes (not toilet paper tubes)! If you have some, can you send them in with your student to bring to the office for Mrs. Winters! Thank you!
Social-emotional learning (SEL) is an important part of helping children develop the skills they need to succeed in school and life. This year, we are using Second Step, a research-based SEL program designed to teach students essential skills like empathy, emotional regulation, and problem-solving. Each focus for the week will share recommendations for conversations and activities families can do at home to promote SEL outside of school.
Kindergarten
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn two ways to help themselves feel calm when they encounter strong feelings: asking for help and slow breathing. Try This at Home: Ask your child to tell you some ways they’ve learned to feel calm when they get upset. Have them teach you how to use slow breathing to feel calm.
1st Grade
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn to use body language and context clues to figure out when someone feels frustrated. They’ll practice looking at the person’s face and body, as well as thinking about what’s going on in the situation. They’ll also learn about a new strategy for feeling calm when they get frustrated: slow counting. Try This at Home: Encourage your child to notice when others around them feel frustrated. Have them practice using body language and context clues to figure out when family members, friends, or characters in books, movies, or on TV might be feeling frustrated.
2nd Grade
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that people can have different feelings in the same situation because of their experiences. Try This at Home: Ask your child for an example of something that people can have different feelings about. Talk about the reasons people might have different feelings about it.
3rd Grade
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn words for three degrees of happiness: content, happy, and excited. Try This at Home: Ask your child to explain the differences between feeling content, happy, and excited.
4th Grade
In this week’s lesson, your child will practice rethinking a situation they’ve personally experienced. Try This at Home: Ask your child, "How could rethinking help you the next time you’re in a situation where you feel a strong emotion?" It’s important to note that rethinking is not a good strategy to use when someone is hurt or in danger.
5th Grade
In this week’s lesson, your child will practice identifying things that a person can or can’t change in a recurring situation that causes them to feel a strong emotion. Then they will focus on the things that can be changed to recommend something the person could think or do differently to manage their emotions in the future. Try This at Home: Ask your child if there’s anything coming up at school that makes them feel a strong emotion, like nervous, frustrated, or stressed. Ask them what they could think or do differently to make the situation easier to handle.
If you have questions about these prompts or ideas, or social-emotional learning in general, please email Westlawn’s SEL Coach, Ms. Andrews. We can work together to create a positive and safe school environment!
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